Online Poker in Delaware Takes a Dip in March

April 19th, 2017 | by Kaycee James

Online poker and casino gaming in Delaware took a hit in March with the latest reports showing state revenue was down 42 percent compared to 2016.

Delaware’s online poker and casino industry contracted in March to leave the state’s Q1 earnings down by 12 percent. (Image: thedailychronic.net)

Disappointing performances from Dover Downs and Delaware Park, the state’s two largest iGaming operators, contributed to a significant drop in year-on-year results for Delaware in March.

In fact, when Harrington’s net revenue of just $54,648 is added to the money generated by Dover Downs and Delaware Park, the state made just $151,811.

Poker and Casino Gaming Take a Hit

Of that figure, online poker contributed just $17,715, while table games and video poker generated $134,096. The result not only represents a 42 percent decrease compared to the same month in 2016, but a 12 percent drop in Q1 revenue for 2017.

At the start of the year, Delaware’s online gaming scene was on something of a high. A $229,987 win in December meant the state’s annual iGaming income was 62 percent higher than in 2015. However, the latest suggest that things are now taking a turn for the worse.

This decline in Delaware’s fortunes sits in contrast to New Jersey’s ever-improving monthly results. According to the latest figures posted by the Division of Gaming Enforcement on April 12, the state’s iGaming operators earned $21,745,431 in March, 2017.

Compared to the $15,507,459 taken during the same period in 2016, New Jersey operators saw a 40 percent improvement year-on-year. While the two states are vastly different in terms of size – Delaware 935,614 (2014) and 8,938,000 (2014) – the relative performances clearly show that the Garden State is outperforming its smaller peer.

Results Could be Preventing Pacts

Since Delaware and New Jersey regulated online gaming in 2013 and Nevada joined the party in 2014, liquidity sharing pacts have long been touted as a way to improve the overall economy. While this would clearly benefit Delaware and Nevada, two states with few residents than New Jersey, the data suggests that the Garden State can survive on its own.

This disparity in relative size and strength could be the reason New Jersey is yet to agree any deals. While Nevada and Delaware have a limited amount of player pool sharing across its poker sites, New Jersey is out of the loop and this dynamic may continue if Delaware continues to post results like the ones shown in March.

This fact, however, is unlikely to be top of the list of priorities of Delaware’s online poker and casino sites right now. With the summer approaching and people tending to spend more time outdoors, there’s a chance the revenue in the coming months will continue to move in a negative direction which is something all parties will want to avoid.