Online poker players in Delaware are out of luck now – at least for now. Rush Street Interactive (RSI) became the state’s newest online gaming operator, taking over after 888Holdings had operated online gaming in the state for the past decade.
Delaware’s iGaming model allows only one operator and RSI They do not currently offer an online poker product yet. In related news, Delaware’s deal with… RSI It also includes the launch of online sports betting this week.
Changes in iGaming, launch of mobile sports betting
Delaware became the first state in the United States to launch online gaming in 2013. With a population of just over 1 million, creating a thriving poker market would not be possible without shared liquidity.
Because of that, 888 players are grouped with Nevada and New Jersey via a multi-state Internet Gaming Compact as part of WSOPplatform.com. 888 has partnered with the state’s horse racing tracks for the work.
Players in First State are now left without any options when it comes to playing some online cash games and tournaments. RSI It now offers online slots, table games and sports betting as part of the company’s launch in the state — but not poker.
This may change at some point. The company acquired Phil Galfond’s Run It One Poker in 2022 for $5.8 million, $3.3 million in cash and $2.5 million in stock. Rush Street is believed to be considering entering the US market at some point. This was confirmed by Delaware Lottery officials.
“Rush Street Interactive has previously announced that it is developing a poker platform and they are excited to share it with players,” said Helen Kelly, Director of the Delaware Lottery. Card player in August. “Lottery and RSI We are working together to make poker available to Delaware customers, although we are not ready to discuss a specific timeline at this point.
The state has seen some major gains in online gaming revenue in recent years. Along with the launch of online gaming, Delaware gamblers will also welcome mobile sports betting. Betting officially became legal in 2018 at Delaware’s three casinos, but mobile betting wasn’t given the green light until 2023.
However, state regulators did not allow 888 to conduct sports betting last year. Bettors in the state still have at least a little bit of football season left to do some speculation and betting on NFL Playoffs.
