Delaware may have been the first state to ratify the Constitution, but it will not be the first to offer regulated online poker. That honor already went to Nevada, home to Ultimate Poker, which went live at the end of April. The Blue Hen State made a significant step on Tuesday to becoming the second, though, as its three casinos began directing website visitors to a play money online casino.
Why play money rather than real money? It is a way to gradually break into the new era of regulated online gaming. As Delaware’s Secretary of Finance Tom Cook told the News Journal, “This first phase will allow us to really get the players acclimated to the virtual world in a legalized environment.”
Each of Delaware’s three casinos – Delaware Park, Dover Downs, and Harrington Raceway & Casino – link to the same internet casino, the Double Down Casino, operated by leading gaming machine manufacturer IGT. While real money gambling will be restricted to players within Delware’s borders, the free money games are open to players worldwide. Players must still use their Facebook logins to play, though.
The play money gaming will also serve as a way to draw players’ attention to the eventual launch of the real money sites. “We are going to try to the best of our ability to get those people from the free-to-play to come play here,” said Dover Downs Hotel & Casino CEO Ed Sutor.
The plan is for real money online gambling (which includes casino games in addition to poker) to go live October, a slight delay from the original goal of September. The sites will be operated by 888 Holdings and Scientific Games. Secretary Cook did not seem overly concerned that things were pushed back, telling the News Journal, “…when it’s ready, it’s ready.”
He added that he is hopeful that Delware and Nevada will ink a deal in early 2014 that would allow poker players from both states to play on sites located in either state. Such an interstate compact is important to both states, as they are two of the smallest in the U.S. in terms of population. Nevada is just the 35th largest state, with 2.76 million residents, while Delaware is the 45th largest, with 1 million. Combined, they would still be in the bottom half of states. Despite being the center of gambling in the U.S., Nevada’s small population has contributed to Ultimate Poker ranking as just the 33rd largest poker room or network in terms of cash game traffic (credit to PokerScout.com).
