Legal Online Gambling in United States to Start in Delaware

Delaware lawmakers are ahead of the pack when it comes to American gambling laws. In a unique move the state changed its legislation to allow online gambling in a more general sense. This makes Delaware the first US state to do so, as opposed to Nevada where a more focused approach (online poker) was used.

Governor Jack Markell certainly wasted no time in making his state the fore-runner of online gambling legalization in USA, and signed bill HB333 into the law, potentially paving the way for legal online casinos in United States. The bill previously has passed the Senate cutting it very close to the end of the legislative session.

The Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012, referred to by many activists as the “ray of light” of American online gambling, was turned into state law last Thursday. It provides the state Lottery Office with unique power to regulate and license (and to profit from, naturally) online gambling activities within the state of Delaware.

Delaware is expected to go live with their first online gambling operations already next year. United States gambling news also learned that the state is planning to allow sports betting and gambling on a wide range of technological devices such as tablets and smartphones.

The new legislations makes sure that a part of the expected revenues from gambling activity will neutralize the almost $4 million in licenses, which Delaware’s current three land-based casinos are paying. Naturally, there’s a provision that the casinos in questions will use those saved funds to expand their operations and indulge in marketing activities.

American Department of Finance is cautious and estimates Delaware to generate only around $8 million from the new online gambling operations in 2013.