Delaware is Hoping to Follow Maryland’s Online Sports Betting Model

Peter Lewisby Peter Lewis
Updated: December 11, 2023
Delaware is Hoping to Follow Maryland's Online Sports Betting Model

One of the main causes for frustration for Delaware sports betting news over the past year has been the delay for mobile options. Originally, it was expected that things would get rolled out for the start of the football season, but here we are in December and things are still in limbo. However, more attempts continue to roll in and it’s looking like Delaware is hoping to follow Maryland’s online sports betting model.

According to a report, Delaware officials are meeting and they’re trying to get several different online sports betting regulators to work. Previously, the plan was to have only one group in charge of online wagers, but now this would allow for multiple different parties to get in on the action. It’s up in the air who will be under consideration, but the final recommendation for how many will be allowed should be determined by legislation in the coming months.

“We waited for quite a bit of time before actually signing that contract with RSI, but it was very clear that many Delawareans wanted us to provide a local sports app,” Director of the Delaware Lottery Helene Keeley said via a statement on the public media website. We will implement what the legislature tells us to do, however, the lottery believes that one vendor is sufficient for the state of Delaware.”

As things stand, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding the sports betting push, but the goal is still for Delaware online sports betting to be put on the table at some point in the early winter. We’ve seen the success of Maryland online betting, as the state continues to make history with its high betting handle each month. Delaware is a much smaller state, but the betting potential is there for them. We can only hope mobile options are presented sometime soon.

Delaware still only allows in-person betting at a handful of locations

If you’re wondering why the state consistently posts low stats each month, it’s because Delaware still only allows in-person betting at a handful of locations. This is something that officials and lawmakers know that must change. Currently in Delaware, if you want to place a sports bet, you need to get in your car and put your information down at an authorized in-person sportsbook. This is not convenient at all.

That would change in a big way if online sports betting arrived. The goal from officials is to get things rocking early on this winter. Could a late change come by mid-January or so? It’s not looking likely that mobile bets will be in place for what’s left of the NFL regular season, but getting things locked in for the postseason would be incredible. People in Delaware love checking the NFL betting odds for the Eagles.

Despite Philadelphia suffering back-to-back losses to the 49ers and Cowboys, respectively, Philly still holds strong Super Bowl betting odds and their fanbase thinks they can get back to the big game. With Delaware not having a pro team in the state, a large majority of folks have adopted the Eagles as their favorite team. Because of this, the attention on the NFC East side is going to be high for the rest of the campaign.

If Delaware can get online options on the board for people to take advantage of by the time the playoffs do arrive, then they could bring in some record-breaking numbers for their betting handle moving forward. Only having in-person options is a major mistake and this is something that officials know needs to be corrected. We should find out more about this in the next few weeks, but it truly does feel that online options are coming sooner rather than later.

Online options need to be in place for baseball season

It goes without saying, but online options need to be in place for baseball season, otherwise people all over Delaware will be ready to pull some hair out of their heads. While the NFL and college football are great for local betting, baseball and MLB betting is arguably the most popular option in the state. People love the Phillies and a big year is expected for the NL East side.

Once the spring rolls around, Delaware supporters are going to be fired up to see what this team will be able to get done this campaign. Last season, the Phillies almost made a return trip to the World Series, but Bryce Harper and Co. fell a little short. What will they be able to get done in 2024? The expectations are going to be high for the club.

With April still a while away, the assumption is that online sports betting in Delaware will be squared away by then. The hope is that the Phillies will hold strong World Series betting odds from start to finish during the campaign. This is something that will be bet on from start to finish during the season. In Delaware, you’ve simply got to hope that online practices will be in place during that entire spring and summer.

Peter Lewis

Peter Lewis Jr. comes from Mississippi where he and his family spend their days discussing college football, baseball and basketball. He's written sports journalism for years after studying journalism at a local university. Over time, Peter has cultivated extensive knowledge covering sports betting legislation across the country. He closely tracks the latest...

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