Despite the strong support from state representatives, Delaware missed a significant opportunity to expand its sports betting laws. The bill, which aimed to allow six more sportsbooks to operate within the state, was not passed before the legislative session concluded on June 30th, 2024. This means that BetRivers will continue to hold its monopoly over the state until at least 2025.
Out of Time
Sports betting has been a heavily discussed topic in Delaware for the last several years, with many officials and representatives supporting the proposal to expand its presence. House Bill 365 was proposed with the intention of allowing six more sportsbooks to operate within the state.
However, the bill, which proposed an 18% tax rate on all sportsbooks, was not officially passed before the legislative session concluded on June 30th. Sports betting fell behind other legislations, which were deemed more of a priority, with the death penalty, abortion, and several criminal-justice-focused bills taking focus.
For the time being, this means that BetRivers will continue to be the only sportsbook that is allowed to provide sports betting services in the Blue Hen State. The company is currently partnered with the Delaware Lottery.
The bill passed through the House Administration Committee on May 23rd, but it struggled to get further than this stage.
Hope for the Future
Despite failing to pass through in the 2024 legislative session, there is still plenty of support for the bill both from within the state itself and from the wider sports betting industry.
State Representative Franklin Cooke spoke with enthusiasm about the future, saying, “Having looked closely at other implementation models and studying data from other states, I’m confident we’re more than ready to get this bill through the legislature and onto the governor’s desk.” Cooke also said that the state was well aware that the industry was going to continue to grow.
Delaware is not the only state that is looking to major sports betting bills in 2025, with support growing in Washington to expand the number of operators providing their services.
