Is Sports Betting Legal in Delaware?
Well, there isn’t much to say about the state of Delaware, which became the first state other than Nevada to offer single-game wagering following the strike down of PASPA. That landmark date in our nation’s history is June 5, 2018. Delaware had a massive advantage over all other states because they were one of four states given a grandfathered exemption back in 2009.
Delaware has been running parlay wagering at its race tracks for several years now. Delaware was at the forefront of the push to repeal PASPA, but it took a push from Governor Chris Christie and the state of New Jersey to really move things forward. It was also a timing thing, as betting has always been a thing and has always been going, but New Jersey had the luxury of the recent popularity of daily fantasy sites and more major sports media coverage of betting odds and bad beats.
Delaware Park, Dover Downs and Casino, and Harrington Raceway and Casino are the three locales that will have sports betting beginning June 5 on baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf, and auto racing. Interestingly, because Delaware already had all of the framework in place, it will be a state-sponsored venture via the lottery. Several other states are looking at operators like William Hill, MGM (CG Technology), Caesars, and even some of the European companies.
For those who may not know how to bet, the lottery has produced a pretty handy guide. This was an enormous step for the industry and should be something of a guide for other states looking to get in the game.
Recent News Stories About Betting
It was announced in mid-May that Delaware could beat New Jersey to market, as they already had so much in place. Legal Sports Report’s Eric Ramsey had that story.
In June, that came to fruition. The Delaware Business Times had a fine piece on the nuts, bolts, process, and the details.
Forecast
Congratulations, Delawareans! Enjoy betting and good luck!
Neighboring States
