Delaware iGaming Soft Launches, Full Launch to Follow Next Month
Delaware might enjoy the nickname “The First State,” but in the case of regulated online gambling, it is actually the second state.
Today marks the soft launch of legalizing Internet betting in tiny Delaware, making it the second state in the nation to see sites go live after Nevada, which opened its first real money online poker room in late April of this year.
Full launch set for November 8
Until November 8, when all sites will be fully operational and available to adults over the age of 21, a small group of pre-registered players will be able to access the web sites in a test mode only.
Delaware’s online betting industry is to be governed by the Delaware State Lottery, which has appointed 888 in partnership with Scientific Games to operate the platforms on which real money games will run.
And while the state isn’t expecting the market to be a huge one – or to have an immediate fiscal impact – Delaware’s finance minister, Thomas Cook, noted that the introduction of regulated Internet wagering will help the state keep pace with its neighbors. The East coast of the United States has seen mounting competition for gamblers in recent years, a revenue battle that has shown little sign of abating.
“This is another chapter in Delaware’s history of staying competitive in the gaming industry. It is something that has to grow but we’re in a fiercely competitive environment here. This is just one more opportunity for entertainment,” Cook said.
State first to offer comprehensive betting
While Nevada has seen its real money online poker market in operation for about half a year now, Delaware has earned itself the distinction of being the first state to offer a “full suite” of betting options.
Nevada law only allows for online poker to be played and specifically bars other types of online wagering sites, however in Delaware, residents will be permitted to access a far broader variety of games.
Not limited to just online poker, those who are located within Delaware’s borders will be able to play online versions of classic casino games such as roulette and blackjack, in addition to online slot machines. The same will be true in New Jersey, however officials in Nevada said earlier this month that there are no near-term plans to expand the selection of games on offer in the Silver State, ending speculation that legislation to regulated other forms of Internet betting there might be on the horizon.
Delaware launch has received little fanfare
There has been relatively little attention paid to the commencement of iGaming in Delaware, where play money games have been available for several weeks, especially when compared to New Jersey, which will be the next state to begin offering legalized online betting when games there get going next month.
Ahead of a November 26 launch date in the Garden State, there has been a massive amount of coverage in both the mainstream and the gambling media surrounding the upcoming start of regulated online wagering in New Jersey. It comes as little surprise that New Jersey, a populous state that is well-known for its gambling economy – which has stuggled mightily in recent years as a result of increased competition from nearby states, particularly Pennsylvania – has found itself in the limelight running up to the launch of real money betting sites there.
New Jersey’s iGaming industry is predicted to net $1 billion in annual revenue if high estimates are to be believed, whereas Delaware, with its small population of less than one million residents, is looking at about $5 million in annual revenue at the onset, according to delawareonline.com.
