The online gaming scene in Delaware has seen some major changes with the start of the new year. The state was the first in the U.S. to legalize online casino gaming in 2013, along with New Jersey and Nevada.
Unlike other states, however, Delaware utilizes a sole operator in the online gaming arena, including online poker offered to the state’s player by partnering with Delaware’s three horse tracks. For the last decade, that has been 888 Holdings, the company behind the international brands 888casino and 888poker.
However, that has now changed after the Delaware Lottery announced a new provider in August. Rush Street International (RSI) now takes over online gaming operations in Delaware. The state’s gamblers will also see the launch of online sports betting this week as well, also offered by RSI.
Changes to Online Gaming, Poker Sidelined for Now
RSI is the digital arm of Rush Street Gaming, which owns and operates six casinos in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York. The digital gaming company operates online casino and sports betting in several legal states around the country, which now includes Delaware.
“We are honored to be selected by the Delaware State Lottery selection committee to provide online gaming operations in the First State,” Rush Street CEO Richard Schwartz said after the announcement in August. “This partnership is yet another significant milestone for RSI, as the confidence of a state-backed organization, such as the Delaware Lottery, further validates the trust that lottery officials have in our award-winning online platform and customer service.”
Players can expect a mix of slots and table games when creating an account on the new RSI platform in the state. The move brings a major change for Delaware online poker however. Because the state has a low population, 888 had shared liquidity with New Jersey and Nevada as part of the World Series of Poker’s WSOP.com platform. Players will now be on the sideline at least for a while.
Rush Street purchased Run It Once Poker in 2022 and is believed to be developing a new poker product to launch in the U.S. Lottery officials have said Rush Street will launch online poker at some point but hasn’t offered a time frame on when that might happen and if there would be any shared liquidity with other states.
Online Sports Betting Launches in Delaware
Even more online gaming changes are in the works for Delaware gamblers with the launch of online sports wagering this week. RSI also begins offering the state’s handicappers the option of betting via computer or mobile phone on the operator’s BetRivers platform.
Delaware legalized retail sports betting at the state’s three casinos in 2018, but was slow to the party for mobile gaming. Online betting was added in 2023, but didn’t allow 888 to move forward with sports betting in the state. The state now becomes the 28th in the country allowing mobile wagering.
Some lawmakers hoped to see a more delayed launch. Delaware Lottery officials had hoped to see mobile betting live by the start of football season, but the state’s bettors at least have one week left in the NFL regular season as well as the playoffs and Super Bowl. The college football national championship game between the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines is also set for Jan. 8.
New Casino Could Be Coming to Wisconsin
In other gaming news, the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, is considering approval of a new casino planned for the area. City leaders will vote on the issue on Wednesday as part of a multi-million dollar agreement with Menominee Tribe gaming officials.
The issue was moved from a November meeting so that council officials could study the plan further. The Menominee hope to build a casino, hotel, and restaurants as part of the project on about 60 acres of land within the city.
“The Menominee, which announced last year it would partner with Hard Rock International to relaunch the tribe’s efforts to open a venue, would own the estimated $360 million casino and its related facilities, and Hard Rock would serve as developer and manager of the project,” the Kenosha News reports.
Menominee Kenosha Gaming Authority chairman Joey Awonohopay has said the project would be a major economic driver for the area by bringing in additional tourists as well as revenue for the tribe and the county.
“We want this project to be good for the people of Kenosha and my tribe as well,” Awonohopay said the November council meeting.
Wisconsin has several casinos across the country. Ho-Chunk Gaming, owned by the Ho-Chunk Nation, operates properties in Nekoosa, Tomah, Baraboo, Black River Falls, Wittenberg, and Madison. The Potawatomi also operates casinos in Milwaukee and Wabeno.
