Delaware betting revenue up 34.4% in 2021 but still below 2019 levels

Despite the rise from 2020, revenue was still 9.9% less than the revenue generated in 2019, which was $12.4m.

The total amount wagered came to $89.0m, a 54.4% increase from the full-year 2020 total of $57.6m.

The state’s 2020 results were largely affected by closures throughout the year. Operators closed between March and July due to Covid-19 lockdowns, with Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway reopening their sportsbooks in July and Delaware Park reopening later in August.

As Delaware allows land-based sports betting only, players could not bet during this time.

The number of wagers came to 2.2 million, a yearly increase of 73.0%.

The state’s Delaware Park sportsbook recorded wagers totaling $47.8m, up 52.7% from 2020, as well as a 33.3% rise in revenue to $6.0m.

The Harrington Raceway sportsbook came second, with $21.4m waged throughout 2021 – up 54.2%. It also posted $2.7m in revenue for the year, up 31.4%.

Meanwhile the Dover Downs sportsbook recorded a wager amount of $19.7m for the year, a rise of 59.1%. Revenue for the year rose by 41.1% to $2.4m.

Delaware’s year ended with $7.5m wagered in December, down 13.7% from the $8.7m wagered in November and a decrease of 14.3% year-on-year.

Revenue for December was $296,809, a significant drop from the $1.8m revenue recorded in November and $1.1m recorded in December 2020.

Delaware Park led in revenue in December, hitting $145,349 – a drop of 78.6% year-on-year. Dover Downs saw its yearly revenue total fall by 62.7% to $76,066, while Harrington Raceway’s revenue dropped 68.3% to $75,394.