Online sports betting now offered in Delaware
Digital sports wagering sites have joined Delaware's repertoire this week, now allowing residents to place bets on sports games online without crossing state lines.
The new sites, which have been in the works since early fall, are offered through Delaware casinos Bally's Dover, Delaware Park and Harrington Raceway.
Players of the online system must be 21 years old and in the state of Delaware, which is determined by the device's location.
The iGaming links can be found on the Delaware Lottery's website. Players may also download the BetRivers mobile app from Apple's App Store or Google Play Store. Before the launch, players had to go across state lines, giving neighboring states where the apps were legal an advantage over Delaware.
More: Delaware will get online sports betting, new poker platform as part of fresh contract
Before the online offerings, Delaware offered sports betting in person only at the three casinos, along with parlay cards at retailers across the state.
The online gaming company Rush Street Interactive was chosen by a lottery staff committee and state officials and was expected to be implemented by early winter.
The Delaware Lottery reached an agreement with RSI that included introducing online sports betting to the state. RSI also took over Delaware's existing virtual casino games.
RSI replaced 888 Gaming, the prior platform used by the state since the inception of online gambling in 2013.
More: Delaware could change approach to online sports betting, delays implementation
The Delaware Lottery, which hoped to have the new system offered by the start of football season, had to pause plans due to Delaware lawmakers calling the launch "premature," and wanting to offer recommendations on the implementation. In the end, the Lottery decided to implement the new online sports betting system despite lawmakers' apprehension.
Delaware, which has fallen behind in online sports betting in comparison with states like New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania, offered online only poker, slots and bingo prior. Now, new platforms powered by BetRivers have been implemented, offering online slots, table games and online sports.
The contract with RSI is five years long, with five one-year extensions possible.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Online sports betting in Delaware now available
