Delaware Online Casinos

DE online casino history snapshot

Casino apps in Delaware

All three online casinos — Bally’s Dover, Delaware Park, and Harrington Casino & Raceway — can be accessed through the BetRivers app and the websites of the three casinos. No matter how you access one of these casinos, they have the same selection of games, promos, and bonuses.

New users can sign up and get 24 hours of casino losses back, up to $250.

History of legal online casinos in Delaware

Delaware’s House of Representatives approved a bill seeking to legalize online casinos and poker rooms in 2012. The Senate voted in favor of the bill, HB 333, on June 27, 2012, and Markell signed it the following day.

It is now enshrined in law as the Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012. The law established a sports lottery and legalized keno in the state, along with online casino gambling and online poker.

The act permitted each of Delaware’s three racetrack casinos — Delaware Park, Dover Downs, and Harrington Raceway & Casino — to launch online casino gambling. That happened in November 2013, after a successful soft launch period. In January 2024, in conjunction with BetRivers launching the first online sportsbook in Delaware, all three casinos began offering online casino gaming through the BetRivers app and website. You must be 21 or older and located in Delaware to play online slots, table games, and video poker games.

Delaware’s unique online casino industry

Delaware’s three online casino sites offer an identical selection of games. They can only source games directly from the Delaware Lottery, which has selected BetRivers as its software provider.

Unfortunately, this does not create any real competition among the rival online casinos in the state. They offer a pretty narrow range of games — around 100 slots, seven blackjack games, one roulette game, five virtual table poker games, and seven video poker titles.

This represents a stark contrast to the state’s northern neighbors. There are 29 legal online casinos in NJ and 19 in Pennsylvania. That competition incentivizes those casinos to improve their game libraries and offer bonuses to attract new customers. The casinos in those states can offer games from a broad pool of licensed suppliers, creating a dynamic market for online casino customers.

That is not the case in Delaware. The state lottery has resisted calls to open a competitive market, and it shows no signs of changing its approach any time soon.

Delaware Lottery selects RSI to power online casinos

In 2023, the contract to supply Delaware’s online casinos went up for bid. 888 Holdings submitted one to stay on as the lottery’s supplier, while Rush Street Interactive — the Chicago-based company behind BetRivers — launched a rival bid.

888 exited the bidding process in May 2023, citing the state’s small market and the mounting costs of meeting its technical specifications. That left RSI as the sole remaining bidder. In August 2023, the Delaware Lottery confirmed RSI as its online game vendor. It has taken on the role for an initial term of five years, renewable for five additional one-year terms, pending regulatory approval.

Delaware Lottery director Helene Keeley called RSI:

“a leading innovator in the industry.” She added: “We are impressed not only with RSI’s successes in other jurisdictions, including neighboring New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but also its strong commitment to responsible gambling practices.”

Now that RSI is powering all three online casinos, the game libraries at Delaware Park, Dover Online, and Harrington Online have changed. There were initially fewer than 200 games, but RSI has been working on expanding its portfolio in the First State. In February 2024, the company inked a partnership with White Hat Studios, allowing the BetRivers-powered DE online casinos to host some of White Hat’s best slots. It means that Delaware residents can now play White Hat’s Jackpot Royale games, which offer progressive jackpot prizes.

The following month, RSI agreed to a supply deal with Evolution Gaming, allowing Delaware online casino players to access games from three of the company’s leading studios: NetEnt, Red Tiger, and Big Time Gaming. There are now more than 330 games at DE online casinos, including slots, video poker, and virtual table games, and the portfolio continues to expand.

The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council reported that the new iGaming contract with Rush Street Interactive has been “extremely successful” after it brought in $3.9 million in April 2024. Online casino revenue remained steady at $3.9 million in May, before exceeding $5 million in June.

Delaware online casino market grows after RSI takeover

The First State’s online casino market received an immediate boost after RSI replaced 888 Holdings. Revenue from online casino gaming totaled $1.16 million in December 2023. That increased to $3.4 million in January 2024, which was RSI’s first month at the helm.

More than 24,000 new players signed up with the BetRivers Casino Delaware platform during the month. By contrast, fewer than 1,000 new players registered on an average monthly basis with the previous provider, so the new platform has clearly proved popular with Delaware residents.

The momentum continued in February 2024, as online casino revenue hit a new record of $3.9 million. That represented a 13.5% month-over-month increase. The portfolio of games continues to grow, as well. In March 2024, Rush Street Interactive announced a partnership with Evolution Gaming, bringing slots from NetEnt, Red Tiger, and Big Time Gaming to the First State. The company has tied up supply deals with various other game providers, including a deal with slots provider AGS in July 2024.

Live casino games launch in Delaware

In July 2024, RSI tied up a deal with Evolution Gaming to supply online casinos in Delaware with live dealer games. BetRivers Delaware now offers live roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps, and poker-style games such as Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.

“We are delighted to partner again with Rush Street Interactive for another momentous launch in Delaware,” said Jacob Claesson, Evolution Gaming’s CEO for North America. 

“Delaware is our sixth US state, and this live games launch further reinforces our standing as the market leader in online gaming in the US. We are confident that Delaware’s online players at BetRivers will absolutely love the quality and extended choice.”

List of all Delaware casinos ranked by popularity and market share

Delaware Park is the clear market leader in online gambling in the state, according to the most recent figures from the Delaware Lottery. Bally’s Dover typically reports the second-largest online casino handle and revenue, followed by Harrington Raceway.

Licensing, tax rates, and regulation

The Delaware State Lottery Office regulates online casino games in the state. It refers to them as “internet lottery operations,” including internet video lottery games (slots) and internet table games.

The state’s racetrack casino licensees do not have to obtain additional licenses to offer online casino gambling. However, technology service providers must gain approval and then pay an annual licensing fee of $4,000.

Online table games in Delaware are subject to a 15.5% tax on licensees and a 4.5% purse supplement. Online slots (internet video lottery games) are subject to a 57% effective tax rate.

Around 42% of the revenue goes to the three racetracks in commissions for operating the online casino games. Approximately 40% goes into the State General Fund, which funds various public services. A further 10% goes toward increasing the prize purses for horse races in Delaware, and 7% goes toward leasing, upgrading and monitoring the games.

Responsible gambling in Delaware

Remember to gamble responsibly at online casinos in Delaware. Do not play with money you cannot afford to lose, and ensure you take regular breaks. Click the “Responsible Gaming” tab on the homepage of any DE online casino to access helpful resources.

You will find tips for parents, advice on preventing compulsive gambling, a list of the risks and a self-assessment quiz. There are links to helpful organizations, too, which can provide support with responsible gambling and addressing gambling problems.

Delaware online casinos also allow you to set playing time limits, deposit limits and loss limits for your account. You can tweak them at any time. Additional options include self-exclusion or requesting a cooling-off period.

Resources:

• National Council on Problem Gambling
• List of local Gamblers Anonymous meetings
• Gamblers Anonymous
• GamTalk
• SAMHSA National Helpline

Additional resources

For more information on Delaware’s online casino industry, check out these resources:

• Delaware Lottery iGaming — A list of regulations covering Delaware’s online casino gambling industry, along with monthly net proceeds reports, details of the self-exclusion program, news and updates.
• Delaware Council on Gambling Problems — The local hub for problem gambling support and resources, including a self-assessment quiz, advice, links to local Gamblers Anonymous meetings and other services.
• Self-exclusion form — A form that allows you to self-exclude from all Delaware video lottery facilities, including online casinos.
• Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 — The law governing online casino gambling in the state.

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