3 Legal Sports Books Opened in Delaware – Are they Any Good?

After the Governor of Delaware plunked down $10 on June 5 to back his beloved Philadelphia Phillies over the Chicago Cubs, the wager signaled the beginning of a new age in American sports gambling.
Governor John Carney’s flier on the Phillies even managed to create a $20 profit also, following the (+200) underdogs managed to upset the Cubbies.
That ceremonial bet placed at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino was quickly followed by many larger tickets purchased by more severe bettors, including a series of 500 baseball bets placed by local ace Stu Feiner.
All in all, across the country’s three racetrack / casino venues — Delaware Park, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, and Harrington Raceway & Casino — accumulated $322,135 in wagers on the first day of business. That amount comes straight from Delaware Lottery manager Vernon Kirk, who heads the regulatory team helping get Delaware’s sports betting business up and running.
Residents of and visitors to Delaware have been able to partially bet on sports for several decades, but only on”parlay cards” according to National Football League (NFL) games. Those parlay cards required several winners to be linked together, and also the only tickets that cashed were those who revealed all winners.
Conventional single-game or fixed-odds sports betting, a la what you find in a Las Vegas sportsbook, wasn’t accessible Delaware — or some other American state aside from Nevada for that issue. Under a federal law known as the skilled and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, single-game sports betting was prohibited anywhere but the Silver State.
That all changed on May 14, but when the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark 6-3 judgment in a case known as Murphy v. NCAA. This case originated in New Jersey, after the Garden State made continued efforts to pass its sports betting laws and regulations. After being sued by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Together with the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, New Jersey’s final appeal to the Supreme Court wound up at the winning column.
Whenever the Court ruled that PASPA violated the 10th amendment to the U.S. Constitution — that grants states the right to pass their own legislation absent Congressional action — PASPA was officially struck down once and for all.
What followed the decision three months ago has been a veritable gold rush, with New Jersey racing to put the final touches on its own statewide regulations.
However, while lawmakers in New Jersey took their time, their counterparts from Delaware had legal frameworks in place as a result of their parlay card surgery. Called the First State for a reason, Delaware moved fast to become the first state outside of Nevada to accept legal sports wagers.
Here’s how Governor Carney explained the sports gambling launch in an interview with ESPN Chalk:
“For us, it’s really an improvement of our tourism industry.
It’ll attract a lot of visitors to our nation, especially at this time of year, throughout the summer, coming to our lovely beaches south of this.
They come here and stop in the casinos and also do slot machine and table gaming. This will be an additional chance for them.”
Carney also took a moment to hype Delaware since the Northeast’s newest sports betting destination when talking to USA Today:
“Gloating in this business doesn’t last quite long.
We are happy to be first now.
I really don’t expect we’ll be the just one very long, but today it seems really good to be original.”
(Quotation link)
Carney’s historical first wager was placed at Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, however, the state is home to two racetrack / casinos with in-house sportsbooks: Delaware Park Racetrack and Harrington Raceway and Casino.
Until the sportsbooks at Atlantic City go live — which should be any moment now — Delaware stands out as the only spot for residents of the East Coast to place wagers. Bearing that in mind, bettors will be flocking to these casinos from all corners of the Northeast.
To help get you started on your sports betting journey, I’ve gone ahead and visited all the three sportsbooks in Delaware. Below you will find honest and objective reviews of each facility, along with need to know information such as the address, contact number, site, and distances from regional population centers.
So check out my reviews of those three sportsbook places now working in Delaware to make a more informed decision with your gambling buck:
Delaware Park Racetrack
Address: 777 Delaware Park Blvd, Wilmington, DE 19804
Telephone: -LRB-302-RRB-??994-2521
Website:http://www.delawarepark.com/sports-betting/
Distance from Philadelphia:41 miles
Distance from Baltimore:69 miles
Distance from New York: 122 miles
Distance from Boston:355 miles
Situated in the very northernmost point of the state, in town of Wilmington, Delaware Park Racetrack is the most conveniently accessible venue for people in New York and New England.
It’s also the most appealing of the trio, the casino facility nestled near the banks of the Delaware River along a grassy green hill. From the outside, Delaware Park appears to be another stately three-story property, but as soon as you step foot in you’ll feel as if you have walked on the casino floor in Las Vegas.
Between the slot machines, bright lights, and golden trim, this place is much similar to the Golden Nugget than your typical rural racetrack.
When you find the sportsbook areas — that are located in the clubhouses on the 1st and 3rd floors — you’ll be greeted by an array of brightly colored miniature lightbulbs displaying the day’s lines and odds. These gambling boards used to be cutting edge in Las Vegas about 10 years back, but Sin City has phased them out in favour of high-definition television displays instead.
But you know what they say about a person’s trash being another’s treasure, therefore Delaware Park is pleased to have the gambling boards onsite.
Just ask William Fasy, that serves as president of Delaware Park. During an interview with Deadspin to celebrate his sportsbook opening for business, Fasy touted his venue’s most prominent technological flourish:
“These boards were purchased eight years back, and they are no more employed anymore in Vegas.
But they’re the best boards in Delaware!”
(Quotation link)
If you’re unfamiliar with a sportsbook betting board that the picture below will show you what I’m discussing.
Sports Book Beting Board
As you can see, each game or bet is coded using a base number (401, 402, etc., in the example picture above). When gambling on 401 from the picture above, you’d be financing the Minnesota Vikings (-10) within the Los Angeles Rams. That (-10) figure denotes the point spread, therefore in this case, the Vikings would be putting 10 points to the Rams.
If you wished to take Minnesota without the spread, just look for the positive or negative numbers to the right of the point spread. These figures are called the”moneyline,” plus they represent true chances on your wager. For the Vikings instance, you would be backing a big (-600) preferred, even though a wager on the underdog Rams would offer (+400) on your money.
Each team or participant will get their own number, so you’d just tell the clerk”$100 on 401moneyline please” to place a c-note back on the Vikes.
Along with the fancy gaming planks, Delaware Park has also set up a bank of self-service wagering kiosks. These weren’t up and running just yet when I visited the centre, but they seemed like ATM machines in the early 1990s. Think a boxy framework, small screen, and no-nonsense interface and you’ll find the idea.
It is possible to bet for your heart’s content in Delaware Park, which offers daily actions on Major League Baseball (MLB), and also the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals, along with a slew of daily golfing and tennis tournaments.
If you are interested in futures betting, have a shot in the forthcoming 2018 World Cup soccer championship, or try and predict that NFL team will take the Super Bowl title this year.
Fasymade it clear in a round of meet and greets with the regional media that Delaware Park will be going”all in” on its sportsbook. According to him, each Kind of gambling will probably be on the desk, save you:
“I feel the only thing we’re not going to provide is’in sport’ wagering.
You are going to have prop bets. You are simply not likely to have in game prop bets happening.
And you’re going to have a truly mobile device.”
(Quote link)
The notion of in-game gambling was popularized by online sportsbooks, with players able to place extra wagers even as the match is ongoing. Say your group falls right into an early hole, and you’re keen on balancing the ledger. Placing an in-game bet on the other side offers valuable protection against upsets and unforeseen circumstances.
While the in-game betting fad will not be coming into Delaware Park just yet, Fasy did allude to the development of mobile and internet wagering down the road.
Do not overlook, Delaware is one of just three countries — along with Nevada and New Jersey — in which a legal and regulated online gambling industry has already gone live. With online casinos and poker rooms currently hosted by the country’s three casino / racetracks, it will not be long until you can download the Delaware Park sportsbook program straight to your smartphone or mobile device.
If it comes to customer support, Delaware Park really hit the ball out of the park. Under guidance from Fasy — who’s obviously enthusiastic about turning the place into a sports bettor’s harbor — the staff here are knowledgeable and courteous. Sure, a couple hiccups could be observed concerning incorrect tickets and the like, for example my futures bet on the Miami Dolphins year win total being entered as a Miami Marlins moneyline by error.
But those growing pains should be expected for any new sportsbook. Thanks to this useful attendants, I was able to cancel the Marlins ticket and swap it to the Dolphins in a matter of minutes.
All in all, I can’t recommend Delaware Park enough, based equally on the venue’s contemporary sense and Fasy’s clear commitment to creating the state’s best sportsbook.
Dover Downs Hotel and Casino
Address: 1131 North DuPont Highway; Dover, Delaware
Phone:-LRB-302-RRB-??674-4600
Site:https://www.doverdowns.com/horse-racing/race-and-sports-book
Distance from Philadelphia: 78 miles
Distance from Baltimore:106 miles
Distance from New York: 165 miles
Distance from Boston: 388 miles
When I first laid eyes on Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, my first thought was of the glittering Off-Strip casinos sprinkled throughout the Las Vegas desert.
Places such as the South Point and Red Rock Resort, which combine sprawling hotel towers crossing several stories with classical design — that is what Dover Downs is about for.
And the illusion isn’t broken one bit when you walk through the doorways. Vaulted ceilings, fancy artwork, and marble flooring all unite to turn the place into a casino connoisseur’s dream come true. This place has conference halls, shopping outlets, and naturally, a racetrack where NASCAR events are hosted every year.
Head through the main entrance and locate the closest bar off to the side, and you will be smack dab at the sportsbook. Just search for the large comfy chairs and enormous projector displays overhead, and you are there.
At first glance, the sportsbook facility at Dover Downs appears to suggest a thriving enterprise set to capitalize on the passing of PASPA. And to be sure, the facility has expanded its offerings to include the complete complement of single-game wagers, props, and futures.
But during my time there, the focus from staff and customers alike stayed on horse racing. That makes sense I suppose, what with the place’s longstanding affiliation with the”Sport of Kings.”
I had been curious, however, about the apparent lack of buzz concerning ordinary sports betting, especially with the NBA and NHL Finals going on in the time.
Just a little digging around told the tale, like I found the following quote from Dover Downs president Ed Sutor within an article printed by theDelaware Public:
“It is wonderful to have. [But] at Nevada, in which they’ve had it for 50 years, it merely represents about two percent of their earnings.
A lot of people are mistaking the numbers bet as the revenue.
It is not a massive take for the business.”
(Quote link)
Sutor was not the only Dover Downs executive who appeared to be lukewarm at best as it came to expanded sportsbooks in the nation:
Dover Downs Gamingchief executive officer Denis McGlynn threw cold water on the notion that sports betting are an economic boon for the nation when talking to Delaware Online:
“There’s a great deal of rhetoric that gets thrown around down there that does not have some basis in fact.People need to control their expectations on this.
The dollars that are left over after you pay back the winners are very little and you divide it among a variety of people within this nation.
When (surrounding countries ) wake up and running, we’re going to see a draining of individuals that are coming here, as we’ve observed in the normal casino business and prior to this at the horse racing industry.”
(Quote link)
Even though a pragmatic company outlook certainly makes sense, particularly by an operator’s standpoint, I am not sure I understand Dover Downs’ angle on this.
By failing to adopt the entire spectrum of sports betting options open to Delaware, the place risks being left in Delaware Park’s dust. And maybe that is already true.
Last year the state of Delaware accumulated $1.9 million in revenue on its own parlay card games. From that figure, Delaware Park dominated the marketplace with $1.2 million, nearly 3 times that obtained in by Dover Downs ($422,000).
The absence of religion expressed by the higher-ups in Dover Downs seems to have trickled down to the team level. Clerks didn’t seem very educated when I inquired about futures betting, and unless you’re wagering on the ponies, nobody expressed the type excitement I felt back at Delaware Park.
And that’s a pity too, because from the outside in, this site boasts the kind of conveniences every gambler appreciates.
Harrington Raceway and Casino
Address: 18500 S Dupont Hwy, Harrington, DE 19952
Phone: -LRB-302-RRB-??398-4920
Site: http://casino.harringtonraceway.com/sports-book
Distance from Philadelphia:99 miles
Distance from Baltimore:87 miles
Distance from New York: 186 miles
Distance from Boston:409 miles
Harrington Raceway is located incentral Delaware, only one hour and a half from Baltimore and Philadelphia.
But you’re going to be forgiven for driving right by the place without even noticing.
This casino is affixed to a small harness racing track, and the entire grounds was built outside in the middle of nowhere.
The casino building’s exterior resembles that of non-denominational church, and not much adorns it to imply gambling and entertainment is afoot. It’s an interesting design choice to say the very least, and things do not exactly improve when you head indoors.
If you have ever been to the older Downtown district in Las Vegas — home of”fabulous” Fremont Street — you then know what to expect at Harrington Raceway. Rundown slot machines, aging d??cor, along with a generally sullen scene are the defining features of this casino floor.
Fortunately for bettors, the sportsbook area does offer a bit of advancement — but just barely. Matters fell more straightforward in there, but the set up of private cubicles with attached TV monitors — typical for racebooks — isn’t exactly inviting. The projector screens overhead are large and bright though, so I’ll give them that much.
Interestingly , Harrington Raceway’s chief executive officer Patti Key has yet to comment publicly on the legalization of sport gambling. Whether this speaks to a companywide philosophy highlighting horse racing over the sportsbook is not for me to say — but Key staying tight-lipped is pretty intriguing.
Due to the monitor’s status as a severe harness racing facility, the sportsbook is generally crowded ahead of scheduled start times. If you’re there for sports just, be sure to catch a copy of the daily racing form to observe when the lines will probably start stacking up.
A wonderful byproduct of this venue’s serious approach to horse racing is the employees are prepared and ready to roll. I needed to correct a couple of ticket authors from time to time at the other two sportsbooks, but the folks at Harrington batted 1.000 in terms of precision.
Overall, the experience surpassed what I would’ve anticipated when I first saw the construction, which is probably the reason why they say to never judge a book by it’s cover.
Conclusion
Depending on the place you call home, among the three places listed above are the most convenient based solely on closeness. That’s probably reason enough to select a favorite, but since Delaware is a small country, it is possible to hit all three within a weekend to view them up close and personal.
In terms of my tour of the state’s sportsbooks, I preferred Delaware Park, Harrington Raceway, and Dover Downs in that order.
Delaware Park benefits from the excitement of its leadership, as Fasy brings a real interest in the sports gambling business to the table. His team are really eager to assist new bettors learn the principles, which goes a long way in my own book. When the first online sportsbooks go live in the very first State, I’ll bet my bottom Delaware Park is running the series.
Harrington Raceway might not be much to look at, but the place knows how to run a racebook. The staff can answer questions and lead you through the process easily. Whether this success goes to sports betting remains to be seen, however I have a feeling severe bettors can call this place home.
As for Dover Downs, my feelings about the problem are easy — when the people in charge don’t enjoy sports gambling, they won’t appreciate sports bettors either. Until I hear word about a change in tone coming down the chain of command, I simply wouldn’t expect that the mistakes and malaise here to be solved anytime soon.

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