Delaware Reports Record Sports Betting Handle, Revenue in September

Thanks in part to a significant boost from the NFL returning last month, Deleware sports betting revenue reached an all-time high in September and was up more than 200% year-over-year.

Mia Doyle - News Editor at Covers.com
Mia Doyle • News Editor
Oct 13, 2024 • 09:00 ET • 4 min read
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens Football
Photo By - Imagn Images

With the 2024-25 NFL season kicking off on Sept. 5, Delaware bettors had plenty of options for wagers last month, driving the "First State" to its best month for sports betting yet.

The Delaware Lottery has reported record-breaking handle and revenue figures for Sept. 2024. The total handle reached $23.2 million, surpassing the combined totals of July and August. At the same time, Delaware sports betting revenue reached an all-time high of almost $4.7 million, from a 20.1% hold.

Online wagering dominated, accounting for around $19 million of the total handle, all of which was wagered through the state's exclusive online operator, BetRivers.

Of the state's three land-based casinos, Delaware Park, one of the state's three land-based casinos where bettors are required to place online wagers, saw the highest handle of $13 million. Harrington followed with $4 million, while approximately $2.1 million was spent via Bally’s Dover.

The remaining $4.2 million was wagered in-person at the state’s three retail sportsbooks – Moneyline Sports Bar & Lounge at Delaware Park, Murphy’s Race & Sports Book at Harrington Raceway & Casino, and Bally’s Dover Race & Sports Book.

Year-over-year growth

Sports betting revenue soared 202.7% year-on-year, compared to the $1.5 million collected in Sept. 2023. For the entire 2023 calendar year, Delaware generated $65.3 million in total sports betting handle. The state has already more than doubled this total with $136.9 million wagered in 2024, despite results only going up to September so far.

The latest figures also bring the revenue total for the 2025 fiscal year above $7.5 million, after revenues of more than $1.7 million in July and $1.1 million in August. In comparison, the same three months last year combined for $2.3 million in revenue, with $1.5 million of that coming from September.

NFL betting boosts revenue

The NFL season, which runs from September to January each year, has consistently had a significant impact on sports betting activity across the U.S. In fact, the American Gaming Association (AGA) expects $35 billion to be wagered on this year’s NFL season, compared to $26.7 billion in 2023.

Last year, Delaware sportsbooks collected $2.3 million in January, then saw monthly figures drop below $500,000 until September (except for $626,371 collected in March). Then, revenue reached over $1 million for the final four months of the year, with October’s $3.8 million marking the highest total.

Delaware introduced legal sports betting in June 2018, only a month after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), allowing individual states to decide their own sports betting laws. Delaware remained true to its name, becoming the first state outside of Nevada to accept the first legal single-game sports bet.

Delaware was also the first state to legalize online casinos in 2013. The Delaware Lottery recently published the state’s iGaming results for Sept. 2024, revealing that wagers reached almost $170.7 million, resulting in $5.8 million in net gaming revenue from video slots and table games.

Pages related to this topic

Mia Doyle - Covers
News Editor

Mia started her journalism career straight out of the University of Leeds in England, where she got her business degree. Her time in Leeds taught her two things: Firstly, the English Premier League has the best soccer in the world. Secondly, when it comes to journalism, you always have to be ahead of the curve and look for the next breaking story and fresh perspective. Being a gambling reporter for Covers, Mia is always on the hunt for the next big story about the industry’s partnerships, innovation, revenues, legislative changes, and any other news that readers will find interesting.

Popular Content

Covers 25 Years Logo Established in 1995,
Covers is the world
leader in sports
betting information.
Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo