No Tricks, Only Treats for Delaware Poker Players on Halloween

Poker players in Delaware will go digital on Halloween.

Next Thursday, the state will formally begin to allow online gambling within state borders.

The news was made official at the World Regulatory Briefing in Philadelphia by Dover Downs Hotel and Casino CEO Ed Sutor.

“In nine days, Delaware will be the first state in the country to go with full online gaming,” Sutor said. “It is going to bring customers back to the brick-and-mortars.”

Delaware, New Jersey, and Nevada are the only states to travel down this road to legalized online gambling so far, but more are expected to enter the fray next year.

The business-friendly state became the first to legalize internet poker after a federal crackdown in 2011, and it will become the second to see players actually making bets starting October 31st. In order to consolidate demand in the tiny state, Delaware will launch a single online poker platform that can be accessed through three separately-branded portals.

“With these three states offering online poker, there will be significant pressure on the other states to take action on this issue,” Rich Muny, vice president of player relations for the Poker Players Alliance, said according to The Verge.

Pokerfuse subsequently explained today that Scientific Games and 888 Holdings have been selected “as the primary vendors for online gaming services in the state.”