Delaware Targets Oct. 31 for Online Gambling Launch

With New Jersey’s online gambling launch date just five weeks away, Delaware quietly announced that its Internet gaming rollout will commence on Oct. 31.

That’s only about one week from now and will make Delaware the first state to offer both online poker and casino games to its residents. Nevada, of course, launched the first regulated online poker site on April 30, but has enacted no legislation to provide anything more than online poker to those located within its borders.

Delaware will not, however, have its full menu of Internet casino games available on the Halloween launch date. Delaware Lottery Director Vernon Kirk told Cardplayer that poker and a limited number of casino offerings will go live on Oct. 31, but it will take some time for the site to establish availability for all the casino games it plans to offer online.

Delaware’s population sits under the million mark, which is one reason why it is not receiving the same attention as New Jersey’s much-ballyhooed Nov. 26 launch date. But those 900,000 plus residents are very important to Nevada, as gaming officials in the Silver State are desperate to increase the player pools found on Ultimate Poker and WSOP.com.

To that end, it is likely that Delaware will partner with Nevada in an interstate agreement following its launch that coincides with Halloween costume parties and children dressed up as Spiderman and Barack Obama going from door to door in search of candy from homeowners who may get tricked if they don’t come up with a treat for the little beggars.

Kirk indicated that Delaware officials are busily working on making that Oct. 31 launch date. But once the site is up and running, regulators will continue discussions with Nevada in order to increase liquidity in the Internet poker schemes of both states.

Delaware has also been in talks with Division of Gaming Enforcement authorities from New Jersey to possibly combine the Garden State with its online poker player pools. Those discussions may intensify once both states are operating and work out the glitches that are likely to occur upon launch.