DelawareOnline Gambling: Quick Facts
- Legal Delaware online gambling options: Casino, Poker (Sports legal but not yet live).
- Legal gambling age: 21
- Who regulates Delaware online gambling? The Delaware Lottery
- Legal mobile gambling? Yes
- Do I need to be physically located in Delaware to gamble online? Yes
- Do I need to be a resident of Delaware to gamble online? No
- Sports avalable to bet on: Football, baseball, basketball and more.
- What can't I bet on? In-state collegiate sports events.
A Brief History of Delaware Online Gambling
Delaware online gambling is thriving. This state was the first to legalize online casino gaming. Not many states have followed Delaware in legalizing online casino gaming, so the legislature that implemented the law was a true pioneer.
Around 2010, the Delaware legislature was attempting to figure out a way to legalize online casino gaming. There was a bill called the Federal Wire Act of 1961 that was standing in their way. This act stated that no gambling could be done through telephone wires, which would rule out legal casino gaming.
In 2011, the Department of Justice made a statement clarifying that the Federal Wire Act of 1961 only applied to mobile sports betting. This opened the door for Delaware to legalize online casino gaming.
Online Gambling Made Legal
In 2012, the Delaware legislature passed the Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012. This bill gave the Delaware Lottery the ability to open online casinos. Since DE was the first state to regulate online casinos, they had to make up their own laws.
The extensive legislative process did not allow online casino gaming to go live until 2014. The original goal was to launch online casinos in 2013. The DE Lottery stated that the three casinos in the state would have the exclusive right to online casino gaming.
The Delaware Lottery created a system where there is no competition between the three online casinos. There is a sole provider who is operating the online casinos. 888 Holdings and Scientific Games were given the contract to run online casino gaming in the state.
Delaware has legalized sports betting, but they do not offer it through mobile devices. To place a sports bet, you must do so at one of the three casinos in the state. According to state law, mobile betting is legal, so there could be a provider in the future.
In the landlocked casinos, William Hill is the bookmaker for three retail sports betting locations.
Delaware Online Gambling: The Current Law
- Delaware was the first state to legalize online casino gaming in the United States in 2012.
- This legalization was done through the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012.
- The three state-authorized casinos run an online casino under the same provider.
- The legal online casino provider in Delaware is 888 Holdings and Scientific Games.
- The Delaware Lottery oversees online casino gaming.
- Mobile sports betting is legal, but there are no mobile providers.
- The only available sports betting in the state is through the three casinos at retail books.
- William Hill operates sports betting at the three retail locations.
- Delaware could potentially implement mobile betting in the future. The lottery has stated its desire to do so, but they have not acted at this time.
Legal Online Sportsbooks
There are no legal online sportsbooks in Delaware, but online sports betting is legal. DE has a unique setup because they have legal online sports betting, but the legislature has no concrete plans for implementation.
People that want to bet on sports in Delaware legally can do so at one of the three landlocked casinos in the state. William Hill is the betting provider at all three of these locations. William Hill, which is one of the most well-respected names in sports betting, was contracted by the Delaware Lottery to run retail sports betting.
If the Delaware Lottery put a mobile sports betting implementation plan in place, William Hill would probably have a state monopoly. Delaware is tiny, so this would make sense on the part of the state lottery.
Additionally, the online casinos in the state are all operated by 888 Holding and Scientific Games. This eliminates competition between the three properties, and it allows the lottery to equally benefit from the cumulative profits.
If Delaware contracted William Hill to run a mobile sports betting app, people in the state would be very pleased. William Hill is one of the best online betting platforms in the United States. They set the standard for sports betting all over the world.
William Hill offers an extensive sports betting market through its app and countless bonus opportunities. The book has received rave reviews in the landlocked casinos, so expect the same if it became the state’s mobile sports betting app.
At this time, it’s unlikely that Delaware is going to change its current betting structure. If they have not made a viable attempt to implement online sports betting, it’s doubtful that they will do so with everything operating efficiently.
Sports Betting in Delaware
Delaware offers legal sports betting through its retail casinos. This is not too much of an issue because the three properties are easily accessible. Delaware is approximately 100 miles in length, and it’s the second smallest state in America.
It would be great to see sports betting become available through mobile devices because it would make the process easier. Although, you can still bet on sports in Delaware, which is more than many states offer in the United States.
In Delaware, in-state collegiate events and teams are unable to be bet by people in the state. This is not a huge deal like it is in some states throughout the nation. The University of Delaware is the largest school in the state. However, they are not a sports powerhouse even though people in the state favor them.
The football team is in the FCS, and the basketball team competes in the Colonial Athletic Association. Delaware bettors favor the professional teams in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
Delaware bettors will usually support the Orioles, Nationals, Ravens, Washington Football team, Wizards, Phillies, Eagles, etc. This usually depends on what portion of the state where a person lives.
In the retail sportsbooks run by William Hill, bettors have an array of betting options available. Here are some of the bets that you can place at the state’s three casinos.
Moneyline
The moneyline is the most straightforward bet in sports betting. This is why it’s commonly used by all bettors in the industry. With the moneyline, you just have to pick one team to win. To win a moneyline bet, there is only one outcome that needs to occur for you to win. The team you choose must be ahead when the time expires.
Point Spread
The point spread bet is the great equalizer. This wager allows you to bet teams that are not favored to be within a certain number of points. Point spread bets are great when you do not think a team will win, but they will be able to keep the game close.
Point spreads are also great for favorites that you believe can win by a specific number of points. Example: Team A is a 6.5-point favorite, meaning that they are -6.5 in the sportsbook. This means that their opponent, Team B, would be +6.5.
If you bet Team A, they must win by seven. If you bet on Team B, they must lose by six or win the game.
Totals (Over/Under)
The over/under is a great bet because it involves both teams. A sportsbook will set a total number of points for a contest. You can either bet over or under this number.
You will win if you are correct at the end of the game. However, you can bet totals for specific points of a contest. You can also wager team totals.
Prop Bets
Prop bets are some of the best wagers in sport because they are fun. These bets involve individual players or team statistics. Some prop examples could include total touchdowns by a quarterback or how many three-pointers a team will make in a contest.
Future Bets
Future bets are when you wager on an outcome that is going to be determined in the coming months or years. Such future bets are very extensive, depending on the sportsbook. The common future bets are picking a league champion or MVP in the offseason before official play begins.
Parlay Bets
Parlay bets are when you combine multiple single bets into a group. This makes the bets tougher to win, but you will win more money if all the outcomes hit.
Parlay bets allow you to wager a small risk amount to win big. A great strategy is to choose heavy favorites because it increases your chances to win parlays.
Legal Online Casinos in Delaware
There are three landlocked online casinos in Delaware. Each property has an online casino affiliated with its property. However, Delaware has an interesting setup for its online casinos. The Delaware Lottery has the sole jurisdiction over online casino games in the state.
The Delaware Lottery created regulations for online casino gaming where they hired a single provider for all the three casinos in the state. The three casinos in the state with online casinos are Delaware Park Casino, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, and Harrington Raceway & Casino.
All three of the mobile interfaces are very similar because the sites are run by 888 Holdings and Scientific Games. Players have their preferred sites for personal reasons, but the gambling experience is the same on all three sites.
The Delaware online casinos offer a wide variety of gameplay options. For online casino games, you can play a variety of themed slots. These slots resemble the ones that you would get to utilize in the casino.
The Delaware online casinos also offer an extensive number of table games. These games include Blackjack, roulette and craps. The online casinos have received rave reviews and became very popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Delaware shut down casinos for a period during the pandemic, like every other state in the country. Although, the Delaware online casinos stayed prominent and allowed the market to stay afloat.
Many people prefer online casinos over landlocked casinos now after having time to utilize mobile product options. 888 Holdings and Scientific Games does a tremendous job with the online platforms that are available in DE.
Legal Online Poker in Delaware
More states offer legal online casinos than online poker. A handful of states in America offer both types of games. Delaware is one of these states with a large selection of online gambling options. Online poker in Delaware is run through 888 Holdings and Scientific Games.
If you want to play online poker in DE, you can do so on one of the three online casinos that are available in the state. Delaware is part of a multi-state gaming compact for poker. This allows online poker players in Delaware to compete against people in other states through the same software.
The Delaware Lottery uses 888 Poker technology for its players. Other states that use 888 will be able to compete on the same virtual tables with people in DE. This increases the number of available games.
It also makes players better because you have a larger audience to compete against than just people in the state. A larger sample size will draw better players. Delaware offers a complete online gambling experience, and it’s growing in popularity.
Online poker gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic like online casinos in the state. This has caused many people to stay home instead of venturing to the casino to play poker. For a small state, Delaware delivers in all types of online casino gambling.
How to Set Up a Delaware Gambling Account
Delaware is a great location to start online gambling because you can access legal online poker and casino games. Delaware does not offer mobile sports betting, but online casino gaming is rare, so it’s nice to see a small state that includes it in its gambling framework.
It’s straightforward to set up a Delaware gambling account. To set up an account, you need to proceed to one of the three online casinos’ websites in the state. There are three online casinos that you have access to in the Delaware market.
1. Delaware Park Casino
2. Dover Downs Hotel & Casino
3. Harrington Raceway & Casino
You can also download the mobile app for these three casinos on your phone. The sign-up process is the same through the website or mobile app, so this is a personal preference.
It’s probably easier to sign up through a desktop because you can view everything on a larger screen. This is the only apparent benefit.
Signing Up
To sign up for an account, you must be within Delaware borders. The website or mobile app will use your device’s GPS software to guarantee that you are in the state. When you get on the app or website, click the sign-up button in the top portion of your screen.
The sign-up process is the same for all three online casinos. However, you need multiple accounts if you want to use more than one of the platforms. This is not a big issue. You just need to complete this step numerous times.
However, this is not necessary because the games are the same on all three platforms. 888 Holdings and Scientific Games does not give exclusive games to specific websites. The online casinos will ask you for your name, address, date of birth, and social security number.
This information is necessary to guarantee that you fit the legal requirements to gamble in the state. Do not be concerned about giving the site your social security number because it’s a state-regulated platform. The main goal of the State Lottery is to keep you safe.
The main thing that you should be concerned with is creating a strong password. A strong password is your way of protecting your account. You will be able to hold money in your account, so it’s smart to use a password that’s near impossible to crack.
This can be done by using letters, numbers, and symbols. Also, if you are going to use multiple online gambling sites, it’s wise to use diverse passwords.
Delaware Online Gambling: Banking Methods
Delaware online gambling banking methods are not extensive. This is rare compared to other states, but it makes sense because Delaware has only given two companies the rights to offer online gambling.
Three deposit methods can be utilized on the sites. You can deposit through an ACH bank transfer, VISA credit/debit card, or a MasterCard. For withdraws, you can only access them through an ACH bank transfer.
To deposit, you must have an account on the site. Go to the deposit button and enter your card or bank information. You will then select the amount you want to deposit. The same applies to withdraws.
When you want to withdraw, go to your wallet on the site and click the withdraw button. You will choose the amount of money you want to take away from the site.
You should not have any concerns over entering your financial information on the website. The state lottery is regulating the platforms to keep your financial information safe. You should have no fear of having your card number stolen.
If Delaware did not keep your card information safe, the state would be unable to benefit financially from online casino gaming.
The Future of Online Gambling in Delaware
Delaware has done everything that a state can do when it comes to online gambling except for implementing mobile sports betting. Delaware has online casino games and poker through the state lottery. The state legislature has legalized online sports betting, but it has not been established.
Delaware is surrounded by a sports betting mecca with New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It would be in Delaware’s best interest to enact mobile sports betting for this reason.
If Delaware launches mobile sports betting, it will most likely be a sole provider setup with William Hill. William Hill is the retail sports betting provider for the three casinos in the state.
