Are Delaware online casino sites legal and can you get free bonus bets? Yes, and yes. Online gambling is legal in Delaware, which means you can win money and sweeps prizes in a variety of ways. This guide breaks down the basics of Delaware online gambling laws and, more importantly, shows you how to get maximum value each time you play casino games.
Delaware is a progressive state when it comes to gambling. As well as legalized horse racing and poker, casino gambling is available in-person and online. However, what's different about the Delaware online casino scene is that social casinos and sweepstakes actually get top billing. The Delaware State Lottery oversees real money casino gambling. It does this through a single platform powered by 888 and Scientific Games.
The state's three racinos, Dover Downs, Delaware Park, and Harrington Raceway, have each built their own online casino on top of the main platform. Therefore, even though there's three different apps, there is really only one real money online casino Delaware players can access. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it just means that you don't get a lot of variety, which is why social casino sites are actually more appealing. The following top picks offer a broader selection of games and, even better, they're free to use.
McLuck casino is one of the top Delaware online casinos for social gaming. That's a bold claim to make, but it's one we stand by. We've tested every casino in the state, including those owned by the Delaware Lottery, and McLuck stands up to them all. New customers get 7,500 Gold Coins. These coins are important because they can be used to play over 300 social casino games for free.
Add to this a steady stream of ongoing promotions, including daily rewards, and you'll never be short of credits. We also like the fact newbies get 2.5 Sweeps Coins. Win enough of these coins during your time at McLuck Casino and you can exchange them for prizes, including cash payments. This means you get the benefits of real money gambling without the financial risks.
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Promotions: 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps welcome bonus
The real money casino platforms overseen by the Delaware Lottery have fantastic software. That's because it's powered by two leading software companies, 888 and Scientific Games. In our opinion, Pulsz Casino is just as slick. The unfortunate reality is that social casinos aren't always as well appointed as they should be. That's usually because they're free-play platforms that don't generate as much revenue as their real money counterparts.
Pulsz bucks this trend. You get access to 700+ casino games via your desktop or mobile and, based on our tests, everything is easy to find. The mobile app is particularly impressive because you get one-tap access to Megaways slots, scratchcards, exclusive games, and 24/7 customer support. All of these features are wrapped within a free-play platform that also offers sweeps prizes and loyalty rewards.
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Promotions: 5,000 Gold Coins + 2.3 Sweepstakes Coins welcome bonus
Of all the Delaware casino sites we've reviewed, High 5 probably offers the best selection of games. You might disagree, but here are the facts. High 5 Casino is a social gaming platform that's powered by High 5 Games. For those that don't know, High 5 Games is a software company that supplies some of the best slots to online casino operators around the world. From real money to social sites, High 5 supplies games to hundreds of casino operators.
Because of this, High 5 Casino is home to hundreds of high-quality games. Specifically, it's home to more than 800 social casino games. Many of them, such as Da Vinci Diamonds and Queen of the Gods, will be familiar to real money casino players. Finally, because High 5 has been in the gambling business since 1995, you get an authentic online casino experience and the chance to win sweeps prizes without the cost.
Promotions: 600 Diamonds, 250 Game Coins, and 5 Free Sweeps Coins welcome bonus
WOW Vegas casino isn't just a name, it's the sound you'll make when you try this sweepstakes casino. That might be a bit of a cliched way to start this mini-review, but it's hard not to be impressed by this casino. From a general perspective, there are 350+ games, most of which are free-play versions of real money hits such as Big Bass Bonanza.
As well as casino classics, WOW Vegas has innovative versions of blackjack and roulette. Not a lot of social casinos have novel variants, so that's a definite plus. Something else we can't ignore is the fact WOW Vegas exchanges Sweeps Coins at a 1:1 ratio. That means you can redeem one Sweeps Coin for $1. This is an attractive exchange rate, particularly when you consider that new customers get 50 Sweeps!
Promotions: 3 Million WOW Coins and 50 Free Sweepstakes Coins for $24.99 welcome bonus
Two words spring to mind when we think about Vegas Gems sweeps casino: innovation and gamification. Let's address the latter first. Gamification is the process of adding gaming elements to non-gaming scenarios. Vegas Gems does this by adding levels and random rewards to its bonus system. This dynamic makes the act of earning rewards feel like a game which, in turn, is exciting. When it comes to innovation, few Delaware casino apps can match Vegas Gems.
We say this because Vegas Gems has provably fair games. Provably fair games use blockchain technology to ensure their results can be independently verified by players at all times. In general, online poker and casino games are certified as fair by third-party testing agencies. Provably fair software makes the results of each game available to the public via a blockchain. Therefore, as well as offering innovative gambling technology, Vegas Gems does more than most to prove its games are legit.
Promotions: Up to 1,000 Gems and Get 50% Extra Gems on First Purchase
Vegas Gems is an innovative casino, but it's not the only operator testing the limits of modern technology. Stake.us casino is one of the only legalized crypto gambling apps in Delaware. Like other social and sweepstakes casinos, you can't make real money wagers. What you can do, however, is exchange Sweeps for crypto prizes. You can't even do this at the real money online poker and casino sites owned by the Delaware Lottery.
In addition to crypto prizes, Stake.us has a ton of neat features that make gaming on the go extremely easy. For example, you can create an account in seconds using the instant registration button. You can access games via your computer or the mobile app. There's a live chat widget in the game's lobby, and the software is smart, which means you can save your favorites, look back at your previous activity, and get suggestions based on your preferences. All in all, Stake.us is a vision of the future available right now. The only downside is the fact it doesn't offer a welcome bonus.
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Promotions: No welcome bonus but does have challenges and races
If there's one online casino in Delaware that provides the closest thing to real money gambling without the financial risks, it's BetRivers.net casino. Every DE online casino we've reviewed provides an authentic gaming experience but BetRivers is slightly different because it's based on a real money casino. Although it's not available in Delaware right now, BetRivers is licensed to offer real money casino games and sports betting in various US states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Illinois. BetRivers.net is the social version of this platform.
As such, it's almost indistinguishable from its real money counterpart in terms of games, software, and promotions. Of course, the games are free to play and the promotions focus on Gold Coins rather than cash prizes, but everything else is the same. This set-up allows you to play hundreds of popular casino games without spending a cent, including live dealer games. If that's not enough, there's also a free-play sports betting section on BetRivers.net. Basically, if you like real money gambling but want a free alternative, BetRivers.net is ideal.
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Promotions: Spin the prize wheel for prizes worth up to 1,000 virtual dollars each day
Sweeptastic Online Casino DE is home to more than 1,000 free-play games. That's more games than virtually any other online casino in the state, including those run by Dover Downs, Harrington Raceway, and Delaware Park. Our only criticism is that over 95% of the games are slots. There are a few table games, but a few more would make Sweeptastic a serious contender for Delaware's top online casino.
Having said this, there are plenty of great games to choose from. What's also nice about this online casino is that you get free Sweeps Coins when you register and redemption requests are processed within 24 hours. Most sweepstakes casinos in Delaware will exchange your Sweeps for cash prizes within five days. Sweeptastic does things a lot quicker, which means you should have some money in your account within a day.
Promotions: 27,777 Lucky Coins (aka Gold Coins) and 2 Sweeps Coins
Type "online gambling Delaware" in any search engine and you'll be presented with a long list of results that includes real money casinos, sites for poker players, and sweepstakes casino apps. The point we're making here is that Delaware has a variety of options when it comes to gambling. The real money side of the industry is overseen by the Delaware Lottery.
As well as running the state lottery, this organization oversees the horse racing industry and the racinos at Dover Downs, Delaware Park, and Harrington Raceway. The Delaware Lottery also owns the state's real money online poker and casino platform. Each racino has a branded app built on top of this foundation, which means anyone aged 21 or older and within state lines can access the same underlying platform via one of three online casinos.
Alongside legal sports betting, online poker, and casino gambling, you can use social gaming sites in Delaware if you're at least 18 years old. These Delaware online casinos offer free-play games as well as Sweeps competitions. This means you can play casino games for free and, once you've got enough, redeem Sweeps Coins for prizes, including cash payments.
The minimum gambling age in Delaware is 18. This minimum age applies to Delaware Lottery draws and social casino games. You can also play charity bingo games and buy pull-tab tickets in Delaware if you're 18. For sports betting on horse racing events, live and online poker, and real money casino gaming, the minimum gambling age is 21.
Gambling profits are subject to state and federal tax in Delaware. As noted on the state lottery website, all wins over $5,000 will have 24% withheld for federal tax. The same percentage is withheld from sports betting wins over more than 300x the wager. What's important to note is that the money is only withheld to comply with federal tax laws.
It may be the case that you get some or all of the money back based on your personal circumstances and tax return. In addition to federal tax, you'll be required to pay state tax on gambling winnings, minus losses. The amount you pay is based on your personal tax rate. Delaware tax rates range from 2.2% to 6.6%.
The Delaware Lottery is responsible for regulating all gambling activity in the state. This means horse racing events and casino gaming at Delaware Park, Harrington Raceway, and Dover Downs are overseen by the state lottery. It also means online poker, sports betting, and real money casino gaming is regulated by the Delaware Lottery. Social and sweepstakes casinos comply with federal laws, but they too are subject to oversight from the Delaware Lottery.
Everyone is catered for when it comes to gambling in Delaware. From casino gaming enthusiasts and poker players to lottery lovers and horse racing fans, anyone can bet in ways they want. When it comes to Delaware's best social online casinos, these games are all available for free.
Playing social and sweepstakes slots is no different from spinning the reels of real money games. The only difference, as you should know by now, is that you're not playing for cash prizes. However, if you win Sweeps Coins, you can redeem them for prizes at a later date.
The main reason these online slots provide a virtually identical gaming experience is due to the fact many of them are free-play versions of real money games. Popular slots such as Big Bass Bonanza and Da Vinci Diamonds are available on many of our top-rated Delaware social casinos, which means you're playing a real money game in a free-play setting.
You'll find a variety of novel online blackjack variants if you use the online casinos operated by Delaware Park, Dover Downs, and Harrington Raceway. These variants not only offer side bets but enhanced payouts and progressive jackpots. Things are a little more traditional in the social gaming sector, which means you can join single and multiplayer tables that use Vegas or Atlantic City rules.
The same way that social casinos stick to the basics with regards to blackjack, online roulette comes in two traditional formats: American and European. Some operators, such as Stake.us, develop their own games, which means you use roulette tables that have certain quirks. However, if you want something completely different, such as Lightning Roulette with its payouts worth up to 500x, you need to use a real money online gambling site.
Online poker is legal in Delaware, so you can play against other people for cash prizes at licensed gambling sites. If, however, you don't want to compete against other poker players, social casinos have a few different options. There might not be as many casino poker games as we'd like, but some sites, such as Pulsz and BetRivers.net, have a mix of classic and modern variants, including Texas Hold'em, Three Card Poker, and Side Bet City.
There's a solid selection of original and popular video poker games at all of the top social casinos. Stake.us has its own exclusive variants, while BetRivers.net provides an array of options, including Jester Poker and Double Double Bonus.
Live dealer casino games are big business in the online gambling world, but they're not as prevalent in the social sector. That's because live casino games are designed to be real money affairs on account of the costs involved. Dover Downs, Harrington Raceway, and Delaware Park all have live online casino games. You can also play live casino games such as Lightning Blackjack and Mega Ball 100X for free at BetRivers.net.
Casino bonuses are the cornerstone of any self-respecting gambling site. They're a way to get a guaranteed return on your investment because, once you've completed the wagering requirements, you get a cash bonus. Social and sweepstakes casinos don't offer cash prizes, so you'd assume there's no place for bonuses in the system. Well, you'd be wrong. Bonuses are just important in the social gaming world, as we'll demonstrate...
The first way you'll receive free Gold Coins and Sweeps at Delaware's social casinos is through sign-up bonuses. These deals aren't dependent on a financial transaction, which means you basically get free credits once you've completed the registration process.
Social and sweepstakes gaming is always free. You don't have to make deposits to play games or win coins. In fact, there aren't any ways to make deposits because, as we've said, you can't make real money bets. What you can do, however, is buy Gold Coins. This is optional but, if you do, there are ways to get discounts and free sweeps through bonus offers.
The majority of bonus offers you'll get at social casinos are no deposit deals. This is because these operators are legally required to make their games free at all times. Therefore, they'll give you Gold Coins on a regular basis through a variety of no deposit bonuses, including login rewards, leaderboard prizes, and challenges.
Before we list the ways you can make deposits and withdrawals at Delaware online casinos, let's quickly recap the state's gambling laws. Real money online poker, casino, and sports betting sites are legal. These sites are allowed to process cash deposits, bets, and withdrawals. Social and sweepstakes casinos are also legal in the First State, but they aren't allowed to process real money deposits. They do, however, give you the option to purchase Gold Coins at your discretion. That means secure payment methods are required in both settings. In line with this, the main ways to make deposits and withdrawals are:
If you fancy a break from online gambling and want something a bit more personal, you can visit Delaware's three racetracks. In addition to horse racing, these venues are allowed to offer sports betting, slots, table games, live entertainment, and much more.
Delaware's best social casinos are flanked by a variety of real money gambling platforms that cover the following activities
Sports betting is legal in Delaware. There are provisions in the local gambling laws for online sports betting but, at the time of writing, only in-person wagers were possible. This means you can go to any of the three licensed racinos and bet on football, basketball, and a host of other sports.
There is a long history of horse racing in the First State. Local tracks, such as Delaware Park, have been operational since the 1930s and, today, it's possible to bet on all types of horse racing events, including harness racing, if you're 21 or older.
The Delaware State Lottery has been active since 1974. Players can buy lottery tickets for Powerball, Mega Millions, and other draws from licensed vendors if they're 18 or older.
Governor John Carney signed the Delaware Interactive Fantasy Contest Act into law on July 26th, 2017. That means anyone in the state aged 18 or older has been able to enter daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests since July 2017. There were three DFS sites licensed in Delaware at the time of writing, including FanDuel, DraftKings, and Yahoo Fantasy Sports.
Certain types of charitable gaming, including bingo, are legal in Delaware. As per the Delaware Board of Charitable Gaming, "organizations must receive a gaming permit before advertising or holding any charitable gaming event and before selling raffle tickets."
Gambling is good fun, but only if you do it responsibly. Regardless of whether you're betting on sport, playing online poker, or enjoying casino games, you need to be in control at all times. Every legit operator offers responsible gambling tools to help you stay in control and never risk more than you can afford to lose. In addition to the responsible gambling tools you can access online, these organizations can help if things ever get too much.
Delaware begins taking sports bets at its three land-based casinos just a few weeks after the Supreme Court strikes down the federal wagering ban. Delaware is the second state to take a legal sports bet and the first outside Nevada.
Online poker and casino gambling are both legalized, with the state’s three casinos all permitted to have a site for each offering. Unlike most other states, all online offerings are under the purview and management of the state lottery, which treats them as a singular entity, dividing up into different offerings.
As a means to further boost the state’s venerable horse racing industry, lawmakers approve a measure to allow tracks to offer casino games.
Slot machines are permitted at state horse tracks, with the first video betting terminal going live in 1995. All three horse tracks install the games, subsequently becoming racinos.
Following the leads of its Mid-Atlantic and New England neighbors, Delaware also adopts a state-run lottery and sells its first ticket in 1976.
The state’s third, and most recent, race track opens in Dover. Dover Downs offers harness racing and later becomes host to two annual NASCAR races.
A second Delaware horse track opens with Harrington Raceway, located in the state fair grounds 16 miles south of Dover.
Legal gaming comes to Delaware for the first time in more than a century when Delaware Park begins taking bets on horse racing. The track that would help spur the state’s future growth still operates.
Yes, online casinos are legal in Delaware. The state lottery runs Delaware's real money online casino platform. Delaware Park, Dover Downs, and Harrington Raceway each have a "skin" on the network, which means they feed into the same platform but all offer a slightly different app. You can also play social and sweepstakes casino games in Delaware at various sites, including McLuck, Pulsz, and High 5.
McLuck is one of the best online casinos in Delaware because it offers generous promotions, over 300 free-play games, and the chance to win cash prizes using Sweeps Coins. Other social casinos worth trying are Pulsz, BetRivers.net, and High 5.
Yes, real money gambling is legal in Delaware. As well as racinos and sportsbooks licensed by the Delaware Lottery, you can play online poker and casino games for real money. Sweepstakes casinos, such as Pulsz, offer alternative ways to win cash prizes online.
Delaware online gambling laws were passed in 2012. This made online slots, table games, and poker legal in the state. The Delaware Lottery is responsible for regulating the real money online gambling sector, and the casinos permitted in the state are operated by Delaware Park, Harrington Raceway, and Dover Downs. Social casinos are also available alongside real money gambling sites.