The Delaware State Senate passed HB131 to include sports betting into the Delaware Code and to allow the Lottery Director to add sports bettors to an involuntary exclusion list.
HB131 passed the Senate with 21 votes on June 11th, 2019. This amendment gives the state Lottery Director more duties and sets punishments for wagering by excluded people.
This amendment states that excluded bettors will not be allowed to participate in any sports lottery game or video lottery. Excluded bettors who enter a gambling facility will be guilty of a class a misdemeanor.
This amendment also sets punishments for Video Lottery agents who do not abide by the exclusion list. If an agent is found guilty of knowingly not removing someone on the exclusion list, they can have their license revoked, limited, put under certain conditions, or suspended.
Excluded bettors will not be allowed to collect winning or cover losses associated with any prohibited gaming activity. The Lottery director will be in charge of handling any forfeitures and will provide regulations and procedures for those duties.
Delaware currently has three casinos that offer sports betting: Delaware Park Casino, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, and Harrington Raceway & Casino. The state lottery also offers a football parlay betting option offered at retailers across the state.
Sports Pick (Delaware Sports Lottery) began in Delaware in 1976 but was only available for one season until 2009. Since Delaware had this law in place, they were originally excluded from the PASPA act. PASPA successfully blocked 46 states from enacting sports wagering bills from 1992-2018.
The Delaware State Lottery has announced plans to extend their sports betting options to residents over the age of 21. With sports betting expanding across The First State, HB131 will extend the Lottery Directors regulation while providing state-issued responsible gaming tactics.
