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Sports betting has long been available to Philadelphia area residents from the comfort of their homes whether it be through a local bookmaker or online with any number of top internationally-licensed sportsbooks that accept U.S. citizens. Effective this day June 5 at 1:30 pm, Philadelphians can now enjoy sports wagering at one of their local casinos.
Delaware Park in Wilmington is one of three Delaware casinos that will begin offering sports betting on everything from Football to the 2018 FIFA World Cup to this week's NBA Finals.
This is the closest of the three casinos to the Philadelphia area, a mere 45 minute commute.
Delaware makes history Tuesday by becoming the first state outside of Nevada to offer single game sports betting (they have been able to take bets on parlays since 2009). The ability to do so comes just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a 1992 federal ban on sports gambling, giving individual states the freedom to offer wagering on most sporting events.
Tuesday’s launch means Delawareans, folks from Southeastern PA, including Philadelphia, and Southern New Jersey will be able to make legal wagers on the NBA championship series between Golden State and Cleveland and the Stanley Cup hockey finals between Washington and Las Vegas.
"Obviously the key is going to be the football season because the bulk of betting in America is on football," Delaware Finance Secretary Rick Geisenberger said last week. "We’ll learn a little bit in June and July, but we’ll learn a lot more in September."
The good news comes just one day after a planned visit to the White House by the Super Bowl champion Eagles was called off by U.S. President Donald Trump.
In addition to the Eagles, Philadelphians have plenty to celebrate with the Villanova Wildcats winning this year's NCAA College Basketball Championship, the 76ers enjoying their best season in years and the Phillies holding their own in Major League Baseball.
It was not immediately known if the Delaware casinos would be taking futures bets on the Eagles and other NFL teams at this time.
Those visiting the casinos to place wagers on Tuesday night's game will also be able to bet LIVE IN-PLAY via their smartphones with one of the many international online betting sites.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
