How Do I Gamble Online in Delaware?

Delaware is known worldwide for its judicial system, so it’s no surprise that Delaware is a leader in online gambling laws. The First State co-founded the Multi-State Internet Gambling Association (MSIGA), better known as the Interstate Poker Compact. It also was the first state to legalize online casinos and poker sites, as well as the first state to legalize single-game sports bets after the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA.

With so many firsts, online gambling in Delaware can be hard for newcomers to unpack. Read our guide to Delaware online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms. We discuss the land-based gambling industry, the licensed online gaming niche, and how the offshore online gambling industry works. Once you’re finished with this page, you’ll know everything needed to gamble online for real money in Delaware.

Delaware Online Gambling Laws

Delaware residents have access to a full range of online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks. Since 2013, Delaware has had licensed online casinos and poker rooms, while offshore online gambling sites accept Delaware players. Since internet poker rooms did not have large player pools for most of their history, many Delaware poker players continued to play at offshore online cardrooms.

At present, Delaware does not have licensed online sportsbooks. Delaware residents can sign up and gamble for real money at offshore online sportsbooks. While Delaware laws do not license and regulate bookmakers, officials do not prosecute individuals who play for real money at offshore sportsbooks, casinos, or poker sites. The key question is trust, fairness, and reliability, so players should read gaming site reviews before making a deposit.

Gambling Availability in Delaware

Delaware Online Gambling Timeline & History

• 2006: The US Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Under the Bush Administration’s interpretation of the UIGEA, online sports betting, casino gaming, and poker betting were all banned.
• 2009: Delaware allowed point-spread bets on football, baseball, basketball, and hockey games. U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals deemed these games illegal but confirmed Delaware could continue to offer parlay bets (sports lotteries).
• 2011: The US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel declared that online sports betting was banned under the UIGEA law, but online casinos and poker sites were not. States like Delaware could approve or ban these two forms of gambling as they saw fit.
• 2012: Then-Gov. Jack Markell signed the Delaware Gambling Competitiveness Act of 2012 (HB333) into law. This added online casinos and poker sites to the list of approved games, along with the already-existent state lottery.
• 2013: Delaware’s three land-based race tracks launched online casinos and poker sites.
• 2014: Online poker sites that allowed only Delaware card players were not sustainable, so Delaware signed a poker compact with Nevada to share players. The Multi-State Internet Gambling Association (MSIGA) welcomed any state that would agree to the same protocols.
• 2018: The US Supreme Court struck down the PASPA law that had governed US sports betting for the past quarter century. This opened the door to dozens of US states offering sports betting, including mobile sports betting apps.
• 2018: New Jersey joined Delaware and Nevada in the MSIGA, anticipating that Pennsylvania would join in the near future. It has yet to do so. New Jersey added another 9 million potential players to the MSIGA player pool.
• 2022: Michigan joined the MSIGA, which was a great boost to the poker compact. Michigan’s population of 10 million nearly doubled the MSIGA’s player pool, creating shared liquidity with a player community the size of Canada’s population.
• 2023: No licensed online sportsbooks operate in Delaware.

How to Gamble Online for Real Money in Delaware

Below is a guide on how to gamble online for real money in Delaware. The steps outlined apply to online sportsbooks, cardrooms, and online casinos.

1. Research Trusted Gambling Sites: To ensure a fair and safe gaming experience, read reviews of online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker sites to find the most reliable and trusted options. Since online gambling is not licensed in Delaware, finding a trustworthy site with reliable payouts is crucial.
2. Sign Up for an Account: To start playing, register a new player account on the site of your choice. Fill out the pop-up registration form with your name, username, address, and email address. You’ll also need to submit a photo ID to prove your identity.
3. Make a Real Money Deposit: To play for real money, fund your account using various methods such as a credit card, cryptocurrency, web wallet, or bank wire transfer. Once you’ve logged into your account, make a deposit on the cashier page.
4. Accept a Welcome Bonus: Most online casinos offer welcome bonuses to new players. Choose between a traditional first-deposit bonus or a Bitcoin bonus. Before accepting, make sure to read the wagering requirement to learn how many times you must bet the bonus before making a withdrawal.
5. Play for Real Money: Once you understand the terms of use, play a real money casino game that satisfies the rollover requirement. Continue playing until the rollover is cleared. After that, you can play any game you like, or choose not to accept the bonus and play any game from the start.
6. Make a Withdrawal: Once you have satisfied the wagering requirement, you can make a payout request through the cashier page. Depending on the method you choose, it may take a few minutes to a few days for the payment to arrive.

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Delaware Land-Based Gambling Industry

Does Delaware have land-based casinos?

Delaware has 3 racetrack casinos or racinos that offer a combination of gaming machines and table games. These three venues fall under the category of legal betting tracks but otherwise satisfy the needs of a casino gambler.

Does Delaware have legal betting tracks?

Delaware has three legal betting tracks: Delaware Park in Wilmington, Bally’s Dover Downs in Dover, and Harrington Raceway and Casino in Harrington. Bally’s Dover and Harrington are home to harness racing, while Delaware Park is home to thoroughbred racing. All have pari-mutuel wagering and simulcasting.

Each of the race tracks hosts large gaming parlors. All three have between 1,800 and 2,600 gaming machines and between 55 and 80 table games. Does Delaware allow off-track betting?

Delaware does not have off-track betting. It’s a small state with three horse racing tracks, so it has no need for OTB venues. Any Delaware resident or visitor is within easy driving distance of pari-mutuel betting.

Does Delaware allow charitable gambling?

The Delaware Board of Charitable Gaming regulates all charitable gaming groups in the state. Licensed non-profit organizations offer bingo, instant or sealed games, raffles, Texas Hold’em poker tournaments, and “other charitable games”. Non-profits must have been in existence for at least two years. They can be any of the following types of groups: volunteer fire companies, veterans’ organizations, fraternal societies, and charitable or religious organizations.

Does Delaware allow lottery betting?

Delaware was one of the first US states to allow lottery betting back in 1975. The state joined the Powerball multistate lottery association in 1991, then later joined the Mega Millions association in 2010. Currently, Delaware offers Lotto America, Play 3, Play 4, Multi-Win Lottery, and Lucky For Life tickets. It also has online keno drawings every four minutes, Mega Millions tickets, and Powerball tickets.

Is social gambling allowed in Delaware?

Delaware does not have a specific law against private home games. As a rule, the host of private poker games should not charge a rake on the poker hands. That host should not charge a door fee, a seat license, or exorbitant prices for refreshments. The only way to make money in a home poker game should be with a combination of skill and luck, and every player should have the same odds to win money.

What is the legal gambling age in Delaware?

The legal age for buying a lottery ticket is 18 in Delaware, while the legal age to participate in an internet ticket game is 18. If you wish to bet on sports lottery, video lottery, table games, Internet table games, or Internet video lottery games, you need to be 21 years or older. Offshore online gambling has a minimum age of 18.

Land-Based Race Track Casinos in Delaware

Online Gambling Delaware FAQ

Is online gambling legal in Delaware?

While Delaware regulates online casino players and card players, its officials do not prosecute individuals who play for real money at offshore online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks. If a Delaware resident launched their own online gambling sites, the resident would be prosecuted. Residents playing in the privacy of their own homes are not prosecuted — and neither are mobile gamblers who play using their Android or iPhone device.

Thus, online gamblers can enjoy a full range of real money betting in Delaware. The state offers legal online casinos and poker rooms, while offshore online sportsbooks accept real money play from Delaware bettors. The sheer number of options can be confusing to new players, but the key factor is how Delaware gaming law affects gamblers.

Can I legally gamble at online casinos in Delaware?

Delaware players can sign up and gamble at online casinos. In fact, they can do so either at the offshore online casinos or the licensed intrastate casino sites tied to Delaware race tracks. Offshore casino sites feature huge welcome bonuses worth thousands of dollars. They feature hundreds of casino games, including online slots, table games, live dealer games, and specialty games.

Can I gamble for real money at online sportsbooks in Delaware?

Delaware sports bettors can gamble at offshore online bookmaker sites. While Delaware doesn’t have licensed online sportsbooks or mobile sports betting apps, all of that is available in the offshore gaming market. Delaware online sportsbooks not only accept players from the Diamond State, but they offer huge signup bonuses and risk-free bets to new bettors. They support payment with a variety of banking methods that US players love, and they offer a full range of betting markets: NFL football, NBA basketball, MLB baseball, NHL hockey, and NCAA sporting events.

Can I gamble at online poker sites in Delaware?

Delaware poker players have access to a full range of licensed and unlicensed online cardrooms. Card players can enjoy the MSIGA poker sites, but they also have access to offshore poker sites like BetOnline Poker and Bovada Poker. These sites offer hundreds of dollars in poker bonuses and a full list of ring games, tournaments, and sit-and-go events. Card players can compete in Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud at a wide range of bet levels. These sites have $100K guaranteed events every weekend and boast over $1.5 million in prizes every week.

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