Delaware Online Casinos

An Introduction to Online Casinos in Delaware

Delaware is known for being the first state established in the United States of America. This makes it even more appropriate for them to be the first to regulate online casino play in the US as well.

This happened in 2012, which was impressive because they beat both Nevada and New Jersey to the punch. Both of these states hold the two most popular gambling locations in the US. Those locations are Las Vegas and Atlantic City, respectively.

The way that things are regulated in this state are particular to the size of the state. It also already had existing land-based casinos, which provided the basic structure for the regulations. We’ll break all of that down below. However, it’s important to realize that the circumstances of this state and how they got started are key. In fact, they have informed how every other states has tried to regulate online gambling.

Legal Online Casinos in Delaware

The state of Delaware has three online casinos. That’s because they are tied to the three land-based casinos in the state. That may not seem like very many. However, by geographical size, Delaware is the second smallest state in the country. That means three casinos is plenty for them.

Additionally, the three available online casinos are as follows:

• Delaware Park Casino Online
• Dover Downs Casino Online
• Harrington Raceway Casino Online

These are all places to bet on horse racing that added land-based casinos at some point. Now, they’ve continued the trend by adding online casinos. Additionally, they are the only locations authorized for this by the Delaware Department of Gaming Enforcement, the regulatory commission.

Software and Operating Companies

In some states, different operators and software vendors get tied to different casinos. This allows for a pretty wide range of games and experiences. However, because of the size issue, and because they were the first, things are a bit more simple.

All three of Delaware’s legal online casinos are operated by 888 Holdings and Scientific Games.

This makes sense because it’s a straightforward solution that offers a great selection of titles. It also makes sense because there was no other precedent for how this could be done in the United States.

The selection of games is pretty solid considering they have the entire regulated industry covered. Virtually all types of regular casino games are included here. However, it also includes a ton of online slots, which are what get the most betting volume overall.

The History of Gambling in Delaware

What’s important to understand about Delaware is that all gambling in the state really has to be understood in the context of Atlantic City. Even though Atlantic City is one state over, its only about a three-hour drive at the most from the farthest corner of Delaware. Since Atlantic City has historically been the premier gambling location on the East Coast, that’s the primary competition.

The main draw in Delaware was initially horse racing. That’s why they have three main racetracks as such. However, each of those eventually added casino games to become “racinos” as they are called. The Delaware Department of Gaming Enforcement decided to tie everything to these three “racinos” when issuing licenses to operate online games in the state.

The Multi-state Internet Gaming Agreement

Something that’s really important about their online activities is that they are a part of the MSIGA. The Multi-state Internet Gaming Agreement allows Delaware to share players at competitive forms of gambling with three other states: Nevada, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This is primarily centered around online poker, which they do offer through their online casinos.

The need for this agreement is pretty straightforward. Online poker games really flounder without a sufficient player pool to keep games going. Additionally, this player ecosystem flourishes when you have as many players as possible sharing the tables. These four states came together in agreement to share players to make these games more viable.

It’s a win-win situation for the players, the casinos and the states. The players get more game availability and a wider range of opponents to play against. As for the casinos and states, they simply bring in more revenue as a result. While this agreement hasn’t been used for other types of games so far, they have definitely shown that they are up for it if it was called for.

An Important Note on Age Restrictions

Something interesting about Delaware is that they have staggered age restrictions for gambling. To place any bets online, you have to be 21 years old and physically located within the state. However, to place bets on horse racing, you can actually be as young as 18 years old. Additionally, those bets have to be placed in person.

Problem Gambling Support in Delaware

Delaware has a special entity to assist anyone who would like help with problem gambling. It’s called the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems, Inc. They offer a wide range of different types of help and resources.

Overview

The online casinos in Delaware are all essentially three faces of the same operation. It’s a great option for players who don’t want to make their way out to the track. What’s more is that their mobile options also make it really easy to get in on the action no matter where you’re located in the state.