The Delaware Internet Lottery continues to struggle. The state’s three poker and casino sites generated $170,763 in revenue in September, according to the Delaware Lottery. That was down 25 percent from the previous year. It was up 14 percent from the previous month. However, August was the worst month since 2015 for the Delaware Internet Lottery.
Casino games won $152,321 last month. This includes blackjack, roulette, Jacks or Better video poker and about a dozen slot machines. These are the only games available at regulated Delaware casino sites.
Blackjack and roulette won $28,376. While this amount is one of the smallest in the history of the Delaware iLottery, the handle was much higher than normal. Players wagered almost $10 million in September. These games held just 0.25 percent of the total amount wagered. Video poker and slots won $123,944 on a handle of $3.1 million. The hold here was four percent.
Online poker raked $18,442, which was within $1,000 of the lowest amount in Delaware online poker history. This was down 47 percent from the same period in 2016.
Number of New Accounts Continues to be a Problem
September saw just 220 new accounts. The lowest number of new accounts was in August when 209 players signed up for Delaware online poker and casino games.
There is little marketing related to the Delaware iGaming Lottery. One reason for this is the tax situation. The state gets all revenues from the games. The number of new accounts reflects the lack of marketing and motivation to attract new players.
New Jersey Liquidity Sharing Agreement may Improve Poker Traffic
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed an online poker liquidity sharing agreement last week. This would permit New Jersey’s poker sites to accept players in Delaware and New Jersey and vice versa. This permits the pooling of player pools in all three states, pending regulatory approval.
WSOP.com seems to be in the best position for this move. It is the only poker site in Nevada. It networks with sites powered by 888 Casino in Delaware. The company also operates in New Jersey.
One loser in this agreement appears to be PokerStars. The company may not be able to operate in Nevada due to a bad actor clause that affects companies that took action from US players after 2006.
