Delaware Online Casinos Coming in Early 2013 – New Online Gambling Law

Delaware is making the move to online gambling. After months of negotiations, lawmakers have come to an agreement on a bill that will make Delaware the second state to pass legislation allowing popular forms of gambling like slot machines, blackjack and online poker to be played by its citizens. Governor Jack Markell has now signed the bill in to law.

Markell claims the bill, called the Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012, was important to keep Delaware competitive with neighboring states that have all expanded casino gambling over the past several years.

New Jersey and Florida have been toying with the idea of adding online casinos, but it was Delaware that made the move before either of the other Atlantic Coast states could pass legislation. Delaware joins Nevada as the only other state to allow their residents to gamble at online casinos.

Delaware lawmakers have estimated that at least 2,500 new jobs will be created as a result of the Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012. Additionally, current casinos in the state will get a $3.75 million reprieve, which must be used to further promote their brands. According to lawmakers the law will improve on a thriving industry in the face of competition from the north. The end result, they hope, will be to keep jobs now in the state and hopefully add even more jobs in the future.

Delaware has already made headlines over the past few years as they moved forward with a plan to regulate sports books. Delaware became the second state to offer sports betting, and they furthered their hold on that part of the industry when lawmakers authorized an additional couple of hundred locations to allow sports wagering.

With the gambling explosion taking place in the Northeast, Delaware has hopes of launching their online casinos early in 2013 and expect them to raise $7.75 million in revenue in 2013. The timing of the online casino launch is important being that New Jersey lawmakers have also passed online gambling and sports betting bills this year that have not yet been signed into law.