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Delaware Sports Betting

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The state of Delaware has long enjoyed a close relationship with sports betting as well as other forms of gambling. They’ve been at the forefront of the legalization movement for decades now and, along with New Jersey, were responsible for forcing the federal government’s hand on the matter. Soon after the Supreme Court ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, or PASPA, unconstitutional early in 2018, Delaware became the first state to accept a legal sports wager outside of Nevada. Delaware sports betting is now available at three sportsbooks in the state, one at each of its casinos. Expansion continues, however, as the state plans to deliver more licenses and offer online options as well.

Can I Bet on Sports in Delaware?

Yes, Delaware has been able to offer sports betting since 1992, although at the time, it was restricted to the parlay betting system. A parlay bet is a wager that combines at least two possible outcomes on two or more games, races, or matches. The system remained the dominant form of betting until June 5, 2018, when Delaware fully rolled out sports betting statewide.

While Delaware has proven a pioneer in setting up its own sports betting industry, the state has had trouble setting up digital betting portals. Presently, DE residents may only play wagers remotely on horse races.

What Sports Can I Bet on in DE?

Delaware is no different than the majority of other U.S. states insofar as residents’ preferences for sports go. The state follows the NFL and MLB keenly and fans find themselves betting on a variety of sports, including basketball, hockey, rugby, golf, and tennis.

Following a strong performance in September 2018, however, Delaware’s sports betting revenue has been falling. On October 16, 2019, the DE Lottery posted the September revenue amounting to $2,159,643 – the highest result for the year.  

 Delaware ParkDover DownsHarrington RacewayTotal
Amount Played $7,062,694$2,497,077$2,280,047$11,839,818
Net Proceeds $1,287,789$455,729$416,125$2,159,643


The falling revenue in Delaware is not exactly surprising. All neighboring states in the region, with the exception of Maryland, have introduced sports betting officially – including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which siphon off a fair chunk of the handle.

History of Sports Betting

As one of the oldest states, Delaware has been involved in gaming, lotteries, and horse racing since colonial times. Today, all gambling in the state falls under the oversight of the Delaware Lottery, which now includes legalized sports betting. For Delaware, it was only a matter of time, as legalized sports betting has been on their radar for years now.

Delaware officially got into the game in 1976 when they expanded their sports betting industry as the lottery instituted a parlay play system for betting on the results of multiple sporting events. This allowed them to dodge the outlawed “single game” betting.

The product lasted just one season. However, it was enough to earn Delaware a partial exclusion from the federal ban more than 15 years later when the PASPA took effect and essentially outlawed sports betting in the US. Nevada, of course, was also spared. Delaware later re-instituted the parlay play wagering, laying the tracks for even more expansion.

In 2009Governor Jack Markell pushed an effort to expand the state’s existing parlay play wagering system, which was run by their lottery, into a total sports betting operation. The major sports leagues quickly brought suit against the state by, of course, citing PASPA. Although the Delaware Supreme Court had ruled the state’s move was legal, federal courts soon disagreed.

A United States Circuit Court provided the final ruling against the state, shutting down the proposed expansion. However, more suits from more states were coming. West Virginia and New Jersey would both begin their litigation on the matter. This issue was not going to go away.

Gov. Markell then appealed to the United States Supreme Court. However, the high court declined to hear the state’s arguments. Had the court taken the case, we might be talking about Markell the same way we now talk about former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who successfully challenged PASPA and ultimately lead to it being overturned. That happened in the spring of 2018, and it’s been full steam ahead ever since for most states—especially states like Delaware who’ve been working to legalize sports betting for some time.

Following the SCOTUS decision, state officials conducted a review of the legal climate and existing laws in Delaware to determine if the state would be able to offer sports betting. The group determined that no further legislative work was needed for Delaware to move forward as the statehouse had long since done everything to ensure sports betting was fully regulated. This cleared the way for a quick launch in June of 2018, only a few months after the Supreme Court’s decision.

On the last day of May, then-Governor John Carney confirmed those expectations as he issued a press release announcing June 5, 2018, as the target date for launch, a timeline that ultimately proved accurate.

Sports Betting Timeline

1976 Delaware makes a first attempt to sports betting, but is unsuccessful. Instead, the parlay system takes place.
1992 The Congress votes in the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that struck down sports betting on a federal level, with the exception of Nevada, Delaware Oregon, and Montana.
2009 Governor Jack Markell made an attempt to expand the parlay play system and introduce moneyline and point spread, but the move was mothballed and didn’t gain any momentum.
2017 Governor John Carney revealed that he and his team would try to expand the parlay system, using Markell’s proposal, should New Jersey lose the case against the Supreme Court.
2018 The U.S. Supreme Court repealed the blanket ban on sports betting in the United States on May 14, 2018 and gave green light to all states to expand their activities as they see fit and regulate them locally.Delaware became the second – and the first state outside Nevada – to regulate its market on June 5, 2018, beating New Jersey to the punch.

Brick and Mortar Sportsbooks

Sports betting in Delaware is limited to the state’s three casinos:

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

They are the only places to house sportsbooks thus far. They are essentially all functioning as one combined license that is regulated by Delaware’s Lottery. This may be a tentative situation, though, as legal sports betting in Delaware is sure to expand. There are many other venues, such as racetracks, that would like to apply for licenses.

SportsbookAddressPhone
Delaware Park casino777 Delaware Park Blvd, Wilmington, DE 19804, United States+1 302-994-2521
The Dover Downs Hotel & Casino1131 North Dupont Highway; Dover, Delaware+1 302-674-4600
The Harrington Raceway & Casino18500 S Dupont Hwy, Harrington, DE 19952, United States+1 302-674-4600


The state also wants to address the need for online and mobile options. Being first to the finish line was very important to Delaware, and they were able to achieve just that. However, it has left them with a few more T’s to cross and I’s to dot. Expanding their brick-and-mortar reach, securing a licensure system, and launching online platforms are all on the state’s to-do list and will surely be addressed as soon as possible.

Online Options

While online sports betting is now legal in Delaware, it is not yet available. Much like every other state outside of Nevada, Delaware is new to this whole industry and simply hasn’t had the time to get every aspect of legal sports gambling up and running. That said, Delaware is far from done with adding as many sports gambling products as it can.

Since they are located in the mid-Atlantic/northeast corridor of the U.S., they are going to have a ton of competition from nearby states, especially when New York state joins the fray sometime in 2019 or 2020. With three sportsbooks already in action and more on the way, online options are inevitable.

Offshore Availability

Even though Delaware sports betting is completely legal, offshore sportsbooks are still illegal. Sports betting in Delaware, just as every type of legal gambling in the state, is highly regulated by their Lottery. Some offshore sportsbooks and gambling sites are cleverly disguised to look like the real thing and even advertise as such but make no mistake—they’re still illegal. As mentioned, online gambling is not available as of yet in Delaware, so any site saying as much is not to be trusted.