The success seen in states with multiple online operators suggests that Delaware could benefit from a similar approach, encouraging a more competitive and economically thriving sports wagering market. A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Delaware that wants the state to issue multiple licenses for mobile sports betting said the state is losing millions in tax revenue under the current single-operator model and wants the state to change course.

The four House members that comprise the Internet Sports Lottery Legislative Working Group added, in a nine-page report, that the current model — where the Delaware Lottery issues an exclusive igaming contract to one operator — hurts competition and product innovation, thereby driving people to using illegal bookies and offshore sites.

This comes as Rush Street Interactive (RSI) officially takes over as the Delaware Lottery’s exclusive igaming provider. The switch happened during the final week of 2023. RSI launched the state’s first mobile sportsbook through three custom skins for the three racinos in the state authorized to provide mobile sports betting — Bally’s Dover, Delaware Park, and Harrington Raceway & Casino.

“In the realm of online sports wagering, the models adopted by neighboring states Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey offer a diverse array of approaches that Delaware might consider,” Reps. William Bush (D-Cheswold), Franklin Cooke (D-Wilmington), Timothy Dukes (R-Laurel), and Michael Smith (R-Pike Creek) wrote in their report.

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