History of online gambling in Delaware

• Delaware Online Casino
• Delaware Online Gambling Laws
• Delaware Park Online Gambling
• Delaware Park Casino Online Gambling

The Diamond State boasts a progressive attitude towards internet gambling. Along with New Jersey and Nevada, it was one of the first states to begin serious discussions on online gambling.

As well as having been the first state to ratify the Declaration of Independence, Delaware became the first state to allow online casino gambling in 2012. This move permitted licensed sites to offer slots and table games like blackjack, roulette and casino poker. Delaware Online Casinos & Slots Gambling. There is usually lots to say about online gambling in a state, in just about every state, as far as how they could improve this scene and where players can play while they wait for their state to finally open up their online doors to all three main forms of gambling.

These talks helped produce the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act. HB 333 passed the State House and Senate with little trouble in 2012.

The bill then moved to Gov. Jack Markell’s desk. Markell officially made Delaware the first state to legalize internet gambling with his signature on June 28, 2012. Delaware now features legal online casinos and online poker as a result.

The state also moved quickly on sports betting following the repeal of PASPA (a federal gambling ban) in May 2018. It became the first state to begin accepting legal sports wagers in June 2018.

DE online sports betting hasn’t received approval from the state yet. No official timeline exists on when internet betting could become legal in Delaware.

Legalities behind DE online gambling

Only Delaware’s three racinos can offer internet gambling in the state:

• Delaware Park Casino
• Dover Downs Hotel & Casino
• Harrington Raceway & Casino

In most states, land-based casinos/racinos partner with different online software providers. Delaware, however, only features one online platform.

888 Holdings runs the online casino and poker platforms for all three racinos. Therefore, each internet casino and poker site offers the same feel and navigation.

Who regulates the Delaware online gambling market?

The Delaware Lottery oversees this state’s internet gambling market. It maintains the following online gambling responsibilities:

• Collecting relevant fees and taxes.
• Ensuring that operators adhere to the Delaware Lottery’s standards.
• Issuing fines for any operator that doesn’t follow the rules.

Typically, the DE Lottery would also be responsible for vetting applicants and issuing licenses. However, the online market hasn’t progressed outside of 888 Holdings so far.

Delaware online betting

The Diamond State began offering sports gambling in 1976. It featured a parlay-style lottery game that only lasted one year.

Nevertheless, this one instance of sports gambling earned Delaware an exemption from PASPA. Regulators never felt comfortable allowing anything beyond sports lottery parlays, though.

Politicians didn’t take any serious action towards land-based and online sports betting until PASPA fell. As covered earlier, Delaware became the first state to fully legalize sports wagering in the aftermath.

All three racinos feature retail sportsbooks. They can legally accept wagers from gamblers in person.

However, the state has yet to approve internet sports gambling. Delaware doesn’t even feature an online/mobile wagering partner yet.

The Blue Hen State used existing legislation to offer sports betting as quickly as possible when PASPA was repealed. This dated regulatory framework doesn’t account for online wagering.

Politicians must tack on additional legislation to approve internet betting. This approval may come in the near future.

Assuming Delaware approves online sports gambling, then 888 Holdings is a likely partner. One of Europe’s largest internet bookmakers, 888 is already entrenched in the state.

Delaware online casinos

Three regulated internet casinos run in Delaware—Dover Downs, Delaware Park, and Harrington Racecourse.

Each site uses the 888 Holdings platform. Therefore, you get a similar experience when playing at any of the three Delaware online casinos available.

DE gaming sites also feature the same software providers. 888 and WMS are the available developers.

Using proprietary software, 888 has produced the following hit slots:

• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• City Life
• Millionaire Genie
• Oktoberfest Spins
• Saved by the Bells
• Steampunk Nation

WMS has been in the gaming business for decades. Its biggest online hits include:

• Amazon Queen
• Black Knight
• Fire Queen
• Heidi’s Bier Haus
• KISS
• Kronos
• Zeus (trilogy)

Delaware also features legal social casinos. For example, Chumba Casino is one of the most popular social gaming sites.

A social casino looks and acts like a traditional gaming site. However, you play for sweepstakes entries rather than real money.

Delaware poker sites

Online poker went live in Delaware in November 2013. Due to the state’s tiny population (996k residents), though, internet poker didn’t initially generate much traffic or revenue for the state.

On Feb. 25, 2014, Gov. Jack Markell signed an interstate poker compact with Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. Both governors wanted to generate more liquidity by sharing player pools.

This initial compact noticeably affected both states’ internet poker traffic. Nevada and Delaware brought New Jersey into the fold through an expanded compact on May 1, 2018.

Even with these deals, Delaware online poker remains lowkey. More states must join the multi-state agreement for any significant liquidity to be achieved.

Delaware daily fantasy sports (DFS)

Gov. John Carney approved a daily fantasy sports (DFS) bill in 2017. As a result, Delaware features completely legal DFS.

DraftKings and FanDuel are the undisputed leaders in this market as the only DFS sites that draw any considerable traffic in the state.

How to deposit at Delaware online gambling sites

You can deposit at DE internet gambling sites through the following steps:

1. Register for an account.
2. Visit the banking section.
3. Select a deposit method.
4. Enter the desired funds.
5. Confirm the amount and wait.

Delaware gambling sites offer multiple ways to fund an account. These options include:

• Credit card: Instantly fund your account through Visa, Mastercard, or another credit card.
• E-check: Send an e-check from your bank account to a gambling site.
• E-wallet: Use Neteller to fund an account.

Online gambling bonuses in Delaware

Delaware Online Casino

Given the absence of online betting, Delaware’s internet gambling bonuses are currently limited to casino and poker sites.

No-deposit bonus

You receive a no-deposit bonus just for completing registration. You keep anything left over from the offer—plus potential winnings—after satisfying terms and conditions.

Here’s an example of how a no-deposit bonus works:

• You register for an account.
• The gambling site gives you a $20 no-deposit bonus.
• Playthrough is 20x.
• You must wager 20 x 20 = $400.
• You satisfy playthrough and have $10 left over.
• You can either cash out the $10 or keep gambling with it.

Match deposit bonus

A match deposit bonus matches a percentage of your deposit (usually 100%). Gambling sites cap your potential bonus at a specified amount (e.g., $500).

Here’s an example of how deposit bonuses work:

• A gambling site offers a 100% match bonus worth up to $500.
• You deposit $300.
• You now qualify for a $300 bonus.
• Playthrough on the bonus is 20x.
• You must wager 300 x 20 = $600.
• You can cash out the $300 bonus upon meeting playthrough.

Cashback

This offer pays back a percentage of your losses over a specified period. You must then earn the bonus (cashback) by satisfying T&Cs.

Here’s an example:

• A gambling site offers 20% cashback for the first seven days after your deposit.
• You lose $200 during this time period.
• 200 x 0.2 = $40 in cashback.
• Playthrough is 5x.
• You must wager 200 x 5 = $1,000 to get the $40.

Free spins

Free spins let you play real-money slots for free. You get to keep the winnings after meeting T&Cs.

Here’s an example:

• An online casino awards you 50 free spins.
• You win $30 through the spins.
• Playthrough is 10x.
• You must wager 30 x 10 = $300 to withdraw the $30

Loyalty rewards

Delaware gambling sites also feature loyalty programs, which deliver rewards based on your overall betting volume.

Here are some rewards that you can expect:

• Cashback
• Free spins
• Free meals (at participating land-based casinos)
• Match deposit bonuses

Delaware Online Gambling FAQ

Yes. The Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 makes both online casinos and poker legal.

No. You just need to be within state lines to play real-money casino games and poker. Each DE gambling site uses geolocation software to pinpoint your location.

No. Delaware doesn’t withhold gambling winnings for state tax purposes. Of course, you should file annual gambling profits on your federal tax return.

Yes. The Delaware Lottery oversees the state’s internet gambling market to ensure that racinos/operators behave responsibly.

You must be at least 21 years old to gamble online in the Diamond State.

No timeline is available on when Delaware will feature online sports betting. The state quickly launched retail sports gambling under older legislation.
Politicians would need to amend current legislation or even introduce an entirely new bill to legalize online betting. This scenario should happen at some point in the future—especially with neighboring Pennsylvania and New Jersey offering internet betting.

Delaware is a small state with a massive land-based gambling industry. The available real money gaming options range from casino-style entertainment available at the racinos in New Castle and Kent to pari-mutuel horse race betting and even parlay sports betting. Delaware has a state-operated lottery and allows charitable gambling. It’s also one of the few states that have already introduced iGaming-friendly regulations.

The constitution of Delaware criminalizes all forms of gambling that aren’t controlled by the state. However, the local state law doesn’t provide us with a clear-cut definition of gambling. Furthermore, it is still unclear whether the regulations that penalize people for participating in unlawful gambling activities apply to play on offshore sites. The bill that legalized online lottery ticket sales didn’t explicitly prohibit the use of unlicensed internet gambling platforms either, so many people believe that joining sites like Bovada is perfectly legal within the borders of the state. This problem has never been resolved in the court, as no online gamblers have been charged with breaking the gambling laws so far.

Delaware Online Gambling Laws

Delaware Gambling Law Summary

Gambling in Delaware is defined as “recording or registering bets or wagers, or directly or indirectly betting or wagering, money or anything of value.” All gambling-related matters are covered by Delaware Code 3-10001 et seq. and 11-1401 et seq. The minimum gambling age is 18 for horse race betting and 21 for casino games.

Online Gambling in Delaware

Delaware was the first state to legalize online gambling. Its iGaming bill was passed in June 2012, paving the way for similar legislation in New Jersey and Nevada, which both introduced similar laws in early 2013. Charitable gambling aside, all real money gambling options in Delaware are available via the local racetrack-casinos, with the state lottery overseeing them in addition to offering draw games. Playing on offshore sites or any other platforms that haven’t been sanctioned by the state is considered unlawful gambling and constitutes a violation.

Delaware Casinos

Delaware is home to three state-sanctioned casino sites operated by the local land-based gambling establishments: Delaware Park Online (Delaware Park), Dover Downs Online Gaming (Dover Downs), and Harrington Online (Harrington Raceway). However, the three locations act more like skins of a single site as each of them is powered by the same software package supplied by 888 Holdings.

Available games include slots, progressive jackpot slots, video poker, and classic table games, such as blackjack and roulette. The Delaware Lottery oversees these establishments, taxing its operators and transferring the money to the state via lottery contributions. Delaware officials have every reason to be happy about their decision to pave the way for legal online gambling in the United States – the revenue generated by the casinos grew from $1.4 million in 2012 to $3 million in 2016.

All three racinos offer slots and table games. They are relatively large for such a small state – each hosts more than 1,500 terminals on its gambling floor. The RTP on land-based slots is required by law to fall within the 87%-95% range.

Delaware Poker

All three regulated Delaware casino sites have offered 888’s brand of online poker since their launch. At first, the network suffered from little traffic, which resulted in a poor cash game experience. In May 2015, Delaware began pooling players with Nevada, which contributed to a significant boost in player count, particularly during peak traffic hours. On May 1, 2018, the player pooling agreement was expanded to New Jersey, creating a respectable poker network capable of providing players with 24/7 action. Pennsylvania is expected to join this growing network somewhere down the line as internet poker was recently legalized there. At this time, this is pure speculation, and PA regulators haven’t issued any official statements regarding potential player pooling compacts so far.

Each Delaware casino operates its own live poker room.

Delaware Sports Betting

Before 2018, Delaware was one of four states that were allowed to offer sports betting services in a limited capacity. As soon as the Supreme Court struck down PASPA and lifted the federal ban on this gambling form, Delaware passed legislation allowing its local casinos to launch their own land-based sportsbooks, which they promptly did. Governor John Carney himself placed the first bet on June 5, 2018. Online sports betting hasn’t been introduced yet, but given Delaware’s track record in passing groundbreaking gambling-related legislation, this is likely just a matter of time.

Horse race betting is legal in Delaware and is available both on-site and in licensed off-track facilities. Delaware residents are also allowed to wager on out-of-state races.

Delaware Daily Fantasy Sports

The legal status of DFS contests in Delaware was normalized on July 26, 2017, when the Interactive Fantasy Contest Act was signed into law by Governor John Carney. The new act requires all DFS operators who want to offer their services to Delaware residents to register with the Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement. So far, three sites have been authorized to operate in the First State: FanDuel, DraftKings, and DRAFT.

Delaware Lotteries

The Delaware Lottery offers local lotto games, multi-state lotto games, keno, instant-win games, as well as video lottery and sports lottery products. Even though Delaware has been leading the charge in iGaming-related legislation, the Lottery isn’t allowed to sell any tickets online. The state’s Lottery website serves for information purposes only, and tickets can only be purchased from licensed land-based retailers. The only internet gambling products that fall under the Delaware Lottery’s jurisdiction are casino and poker games operated by the local gambling establishments.

Delaware Bingo

Bingo is a popular charity game in Delaware, but unfortunately, the local casinos don’t operate any dedicated online bingo platforms. Because no other businesses offer state-sanctioned iGaming services, Delaware residents are currently unable to play bingo for money over the internet legally. There is a slim chance that this might change in the future as 888 Holdings is more than capable of supplying its local partners with the necessary software. However, such a development doesn’t seem very likely due to the relatively small size of the local market.

Delaware Online Gambling FAQ

What laws cover online gambling in DE?

Gambling in Delaware is regulated by the Delaware Constitution and by Delaware statutes. The Diamond State doesn’t have any regulations that’d explicitly prohibit playing on offshore sites, and many people believe that the general rules can’t be applied to online play.

Is real money online gambling legal in DE?

The state lottery is legal, but it’s hard to determine whether playing on offshore iGaming sites is a criminal act or not. As mentioned above, the local police don’t care about individual gamblers, which means that no online players had to face illegal gambling charges up to this point.

Which offshore gambling sites accept DE residents?

If you live in Delaware, you shouldn’t have any problems with playing at one of the major offshore sites.

What are the most popular banking options supported by Delaware-facing sites?

Delaware residents don’t get any special treatment from offshore operators in terms of banking options. If you live in Delaware, the best way to fund an online gambling account would be to use your credit card or debit card. Cashing out is pretty much always handled via a wire transfer, but in some cases, you might be allowed to request a check by courier.

Does DE offer any intrastate online gambling?

Delaware doesn’t offer any regulated iGaming services aside from online lottery ticket sales.

Delaware Park Online Gambling

Is it likely for DE to regulate online gambling?

Delaware Park Casino Online Gambling

Delaware has already passed one online gambling bill, legalizing online lottery sales. Nevertheless, some experts believe that the state legislators won’t be willing to move on to regulating online casino games or poker because the local population might simply be too small to sustain a major iGaming site of this type.