Covid-19 disruption pushes DE sports betting revenue down in 2020
| By Robert Fletcher
Sports betting revenue in Delaware fell 32.8% year-on-year in 2020 to $8.4m, as the state felt the impact of the suspension of activities due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Players wagered a total of $57.6m on sports over the past 12 months, a drop of 43.9% from $102.6m in the previous year. Some 1.3m bets were placed in 2020, down from 2.5m in 2019.
Operators in Delaware were forced to suspend operations for more than four months between mid-March and July as a result of state-wide restrictions related to Covid-19.
Delaware only permits land-based sports betting, and as all gambling venues had to close for more than four months, this meant punters were not able to legally bet during that time.
Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway reopened their sportsbooks in July, but the retail facility at Delaware Park remained closed during the month and did not resume operations until August 30.