Delaware Online Gaming Gains Traction in August
Published September 22, 2016 by Florin P
The online poker industry in Delaware has set an important milestone in August.
Poker players in the United States are anxiously waiting to see if lawmakers will amend existing legislation. In its current state, it remains prohibitive and has a deterring effect on poker rooms willing to serve local players. Delaware is one of the few states where online gaming is legal and has recently posted encouraging numbers. In August, the year on year online gaming revenue grew significantly, despite the fact that the Internet poker industry struggled globally.
The numbers are generally positive, but it’s impossible not to see that the amount collected in August is less than the money made in June and July. Video slots were the ones that drove the numbers upward, with millions of players spending a lot of money online. The poker industry is always declining during summer months and this happened again this year. August marks the lowest point since February and compared to last year, the numbers plunged by a full 7%.
A Small State with High Expectations
The legislation in Delaware is welcoming for international and US poker rooms. Unfortunately, the state is one of the smallest nationwide and has less than 1 million residents. With only a small portion of them playing online poker, it is self-evident that action is frequently dragging at the tables. Compacts were supposed to solve this problem and The First State joined forces with Nevada. This provided a small boost for the local poker industry, but not enough to bring it back on its feet.
This is the direction in which online poker should be heading in the United States. If enough states join compacts, the poker players pool will be large enough to create a sustainable online gaming environment. The other state where the game can be legally played over the Internet is New Jersey and Pennsylvania could pass similar laws this autumn. These three states together should be able to breathe fresh air in the online poker industry hit hard by the US ban.
