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All bets on

Full-scale sports wagering offered at Delaware's racetracks

Carney bets on the Phillies and wins
June 6, 2018

Story Location:
Route 13
Dover, DE 19901
United States

Gov. John Carney had a $10 bill burning a hole in his pocket June 5 when he became the first person in Delaware to place a bet at one of the state's newly-expanded sports gambling operations.

His bet? The Phillies over the Cubs in Major League Baseball.

“This $10 bill is going to bring our Phillies back,” he announced to a packed room at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino.

Maybe he's right. Carney won his bet with the Phillies’ 6-1 victory later that night. He wrote in his Twitter account that he spent the winnings on a haircut.

With Carney's bet, and the line of bettors who followed him, Delaware retains its dominance in the world of sports betting by being the first state following a recent court ruling to offer full-scale wagering for all professional and college sports action. Delaware law prohibits bets on Delaware colleges.

Since 2009, Delaware has been the only state east of the Mississippi to offer parlay betting on NFL games - an opportunity grandfathered by the U.S. Supreme Court because Delaware law in the 1970s allowed for a sports lottery, although brief. Up to now, Nevada has been the only state to offer full-scale gambling.

But that changed May 14 when a U.S. Supreme Court decision opened up full-scale betting for all states, allowing Delaware to become the first state in the country since the ruling to offer expanded wagering. This time, however, the distinction may be brief as neighboring states work toward offering their own full-scale gambling.

Delaware Secretary of Finance Rick Geisenberger said Delaware anticipated the court ruling, and state officials began working on plans to bring expanded sports betting to Delaware six months ago.

“Being the first outside Nevada didn't happen by accident,” he said. “When the court took action, we moved quickly to put our plan into place. This is a great example of how Delaware moves quickly.”

Geisenberger was among dozens of state and racetrack officials swarmed by three times as many news outlets from a five-state area during the sports betting launch.

Bets can be placed on all professional sports: football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, boxing, NASCAR, golf and tennis. Delaware's three racetracks – Dover Downs, Harrington Raceway & Casino, and Delaware Park – are the only venues offering full-scale sports betting.

A digital board above the cashier counter already has NFL games posted for this season. In addition to single-game and championship betting, wagering includes proposition bets that cover events within a game, such as which team will score the first touchdown. Futures allow someone to place a bet on a future sporting event. For the upcoming NFL season, Ed Sutor, chief executive officer of Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, said the Patriots are the most favored team to win, with the Eagles second.

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