Delaware’s regulated online gambling market saw poker jump and table games stumble in the month of April.
Overall revenue at the three Delaware Lottery-approved online gambling sites came to $132k, down 10% from March and down 45% from April 2014. This April marked the first full month since the state began sharing online poker liquidity with Nevada and poker revenue was $48.5k, up 11% from March and the best monthly total in a year.
Casino revenue was a mixed bag. Table game win was $15,5k, down 70% from March and the lowest total since the market launched in late 2013. Slots and video poker fared better, rising more than one-third to $68k. Earlier this month, the Delaware Lottery released a mobile app for iOS, so perhaps convenience might boost the allure of those empty roulette and blackjack tables.
The three state racinos – Delaware Park, Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway – whose branded online portals feed customers to the Delaware Lottery’s gambling site have yet to earn a penny from the endeavor. The deal they signed gives the state the first $3.75m of annual revenue but 2014’s total came to only $2.1m.
By way of compensation, state officials are currently working on a new aid package for Delaware’s racing industry. Earlier this year, a committee floated a $46m package that included reduced fees and a bigger share of gambling proceeds for racing. The current legislative session ends June 30 but hopes are high that a deal can be reached in time.
In April, the state Department of Agriculture released a study of Delaware’s racing industry, the first of its kind in over a decade. The study says racing contributed over $182m to the state’s economy in 2014, with the three tracks responsible for $60m in wages and salaries and $17m in taxes.
