Delaware’s gambling industry hit hard during Covid-19 pandemic

Like many other states across the US, Delaware’s gambling industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus. Since mid-March, the gambling venues of the state have been shut down and across the board, limited revenue gains have been seen along with major losses. Online gaming revenues did increase by 78% for the month, but this was little to celebrate as the $515,000 was little compared t the major losses in other areas.

Big Hit:

For Delaware, the state was able to see a nice uptick in online gambling participation but this was nothing compared to what could have been earned from the gaming venues. Casinos are closed along with other retailers.

According to the source…

Lottery product sales involving games like Keno and Powerball have dropped since the Covid-19 pandemic began, with averages dropping from $3.9 million a week during the first of March to $3.2 million at the end of March into April.

Bigger Hits to Come:

The financial strain for the gambling industry is only set to continue. For net proceeds of Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in April 2019, the venue hit around $5.5 million. The Harrington Raceway & Casino brought in around $3.6 million and Delaware Park earned the most at $6.7 million. This April, the venues are not functioning at all. So, totals will come in at zero.

For the state lottery, there is currently a redemption option, but only at the main office. Players who need to redeem tickets can do so from an outer lobby. A window is offered for cashing in tickets and social distancing markers placed on the floor to help people stay six feet apart.