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This was easily a huge fear for people hoping to get some good news for Delaware sports betting. In recent months, there had been hope that lawmakers and officials would be able to get things rolling for online sports betting. This has been a major need for the state, as only three in-person sportsbooks are in operation. However, it’s been made official that Delaware failed to launch online sports betting for the NFL start and people are not happy about this.
Originally, it was announced earlier this summer that Delaware was going to try and get things across the line for Week 1 of the NFL season, but that won’t be happening. The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions are all set to meet on Thursday night and the only way people in the area are going to be able to put money on the game is by traveling to a sportsbook and doing so from one of the three authorized locations.
The fact that this is still an issue for Delaware is beyond silly. Each month, Delaware has one of the lowest sports betting handles in the country. With this, it would only make sense for betting, more convenient options to be an option for people to have for their access. However, this latest slip-up has people incredibly upset. Not only is the NFL starting this week, but college football action is in full swing too.
People in Delaware are going to have high interest in both local NCAA teams and pro teams that aren’t too far away in both New York and New Jersey. Don’t forget that people in Delaware are also huge supporters of the Philadelphia Eagles. This is why online sports betting is such a huge need for the state. Hopefully, things can change in the coming months and legal online options will be put in place by the time the NFL postseason gets here. However, people aren’t overly optimistic about that.
6 days@DeVontaSmith_6 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/AAamtmZCxy
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 4, 2023
Delaware sports betting numbers have dropped this summer
To make things worse for politicians, Delaware sports betting numbers have dropped this summer. According to the latest numbers released by the state, Delaware’s total handle for sports betting and igaming was $38.7 million, which was an eight percent drop from June. Month over month, the handle has been in the red for quite some time and the hope was that the football season and online betting would get things back on track.
However, with online betting being put on the backburner, it’s up in the air if Delaware’s numbers will get healthy once again. Luckily for people in office, the football season figures to create a big boom for the numbers moving forward. However, there was also a lot of hope that online operators would be put in place by the start of the month. With that not happening, countless sports fans in the state are upset with how things have played out.
If you look at social media, people continue to bash lawmakers for not being able to speed up this process. This weekend, die-hard Eagles fans are going to want to watch the game and bet on Jalen Hurts to put on a show. The Eagles hold strong NFL betting odds to win the NFC East this season, something they were able to get done last year. Not only that, but Philly also has great Super Bowl betting odds to match.
What makes NFL games so much fun is that things often change at the drop of the hat. That’s why live, in-game wagers are a big attraction for people. In Delaware, if you want to make a live bet while watching the game, you’d either have to watch from an authorized sportsbook, or get in your car at halftime and place your in-person bet quickly. Who in the world wants to do that? Delaware needs to figure this out and fast.
No online betting for the MLB postseason would be brutal
Last but not least, remember that no online betting for the MLB postseason would be brutal for Delaware as a whole. While there’s no pro MLB team in the area, people love the Philadelphia Phillies. Last season, the Phillies stunned a lot of people by winning the NL pennant. The NL East side is hoping to get back to the playoffs via a Wild Card spot and record plenty of upsets along the way. With that said, the lack of online wagers for the playoffs would infuriate so many out there.
It’s one thing for no NFL betting allowed via online outlets to start the new campaign, but the MLB postseason is massive in the northeast of the USA. This is something that people have circled on their calendars for months. The amount of revenue Delaware is losing with no online options is daunting to think about. It would be a major shock if things were legalized and launched by the time World Series betting gets here. This is another example of Delaware dropping the ball.
August was fun, let's do it again this month#RingTheBell x @smartwater pic.twitter.com/oLFKl826vi
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 5, 2023
