Delaware Online Poker

If you’re looking for information about playing online poker in Delaware, you’ve come to the right place 🏖️.

You can win prizes that can be redeemed for real money by playing sweepstakes poker in Delaware. There are also several apps and websites, including platforms on social media, where you can play poker online for free.

Delawareans had access to real money online poker for more than a decade until the end of 2023, when the Delaware Lottery switched its exclusive igaming provider from 888 to Rush Street Interactive (RSI). There is currently an indefinite blackout period for real money online poker, but the blackout will end once RSI, as expected, launches its Run It Once poker platform in the state.

Run It Once promises to be exciting new software, with several cool features that were wildly popular with poker players when they played an earlier version of the platform in the late 2010s.

We recommend Sweepstakes online poker sites in Delaware Sweepstakes law in Delaware and most US states allow sweepstakes poker sites to operate, making them a popular choice for players in states that don’t have real money online poker. Delaware is unfortunately one of those states for the time being, but Delawareans can win real money prizes playing sweepstakes online poker.

There are two sweepstakes poker sites that we recommend: ClubWPT and Global Poker. Both are solid platforms with lots of features and have built good rapports with players. They both run tournaments every day. You will also find sit and gos, cash games, and several poker variants playing sweepstakes online poker. It’s an online poker experience that’s as close as you can get to playing in a real money game.

ClubWPT and Global Poker operate along similar lines — the former is a subscription-based site, while the latter is what are called “modern” sweepstakes. They both offer prizes that can be converted into real money. We’ll explain the slight differences between the two platforms later in this guide.

Delawareans new to online poker (or anyone who just wants to play for free) are also covered: there are several free-play sites that can be accessed from the First State, and plenty of free-play apps available for download as well. We recommend these options for new players because it can help learn aspects of the game — the strength of the different poker hands, how betting works, etc.

Look to this space for updates on the future of online poker in Delaware!

Can I play online poker in Delaware?

Yes, you can play online poker in Delaware today! You have several options — but first you must decide whether you want to play for real money prizes or you just want to play for free.

Ready to play for prizes that are worth real money? We recommend playing sweepstakes poker (we explain how that works later in this guide). Or, are you ready to play online poker for free? There are plenty of free-play sites and apps available. We recommend free-play sites for new players, but take note that you will only gain limited knowledge into poker strategy from playing exclusively on free-play sites.

The Best Online Poker Sites in Delaware

If you’re in Delaware, you want to play for real money prizes, and you want an experience playing online poker that closely resembles playing in a real cash game, we recommend sweepstakes poker.

Right up front, know that “sweepstakes poker” is really an umbrella term used to describe two types of online poker site: subscription-based sites, and so-called “modern” sweepstakes sites (for lack of a better word). You can win real money prizes playing on both types of sites. Both also operate legally under Delaware’s sweepstakes laws.

Subscription sites are pretty straightforward — for a monthly subscription fee, players can gain access to tables that offer prizes that can be converted into real money.

Modern sweepstakes are a little different. They involve two types of virtual tokens, which are usually called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.

Gold Coins Under modern sweepstakes, players use real money to buy Gold Coins. They have no monetary value and can only be used on play-money games. But players are gifted Sweeps Coins when they purchase Gold Coins.

Sweeps Coins These tokens are considered prize entries. Players use Sweeps Coins to enter ring games and tournaments, which in turn offer prizes that can be redeemed for real money.

The subscription poker site that pokerfuse recommends is ClubWPT, while Global Poker is our recommendation for modern sweepstakes. Here is a short description of both sites:

ClubWPT

ClubWPT is a subscription poker site that Delawareans can subscribe to. For a monthly fee, players can gain access to tables that offer prizes that can be redeemed for real money.

Daily tournaments are Club WPT’s specialty. The only downside is that since ClubWPT is focused exclusively on tournaments, there isn’t a way for players to win real money prizes through ring games. Some tournaments offer players a chance to enter events on the World Poker Tour, one of the most popular poker series in the world.

Read our full review of ClubWPT »

Global Poker

Global Poker is a modern sweepstakes poker site, which means it’s one of the sites described above — players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and are gifted Sweeps Coins. Players use Sweeps Coins to get a seat at sweepstakes tables, which offer real money prizes.

Australia-based Global Poker hosts major tournament series every year. The operator offers regular MTT series that feature large guarantees and special prizes for winners, including branded merchandise, unique avatars, and custom-made trophies.

Read our full review of Global Poker »

Social and Free-Play Poker in Delaware

Looking to play online poker for free in Delaware? You’re in luck, you have several options — some of the more popular free-play poker sites include Zynga Poker, Replay Poker, and Governor of Poker. These sites are also sometimes called “social poker” sites.

Online venues such as the Apple Store and the Google Play Store offer several free-play apps for download. Facebook also has online poker for free. Two of world’s most recognized operators of real money online poker, PokerStars and WSOP, also have free-play versions of their software — they’re called PokerStars Play and PlayWSOP, respectively. There is also PlayWPT, a free version of the software associated with ClubWPT and the World Poker Tour.

Real money online poker operators offer a free version of their software because they’re hoping new players will stick around and try their luck on their “paid” sites once they know how to play — so long as they live in states where regulated online poker is legal.

Free-play sites are a great place for new players to learn hand rankings and other things like how and when betting takes place. But keep in mind that since there is no way to win real money, free-play sites aren’t particularly helpful in developing a strategy to play poker for real money.

Real Money Online Poker in Delaware

Delaware is known as the First State. Appropriately, it was also the first state to legalize real money online poker, doing so in June 2012. When the market launched over a year later, 888 was the only operator because the Delaware Lottery picked it as its exclusive igaming provider. 888 provided real money online poker through custom skins for three racinos — Bally’s Dover (formerly Dover Downs), Delaware Park, and Harrington Raceway — the only venues authorized to conduct igaming in the state.

Real money online poker in Delaware got a huge boost when the state entered into the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) with Nevada in February 2014. New Jersey joined MSIGA in 2017, followed by Michigan in 2022 and West Virginia in 2023. The compact, for poker and some online casino games, allowed 888 to set up the WSOP/888 US Network, which at one point shared player pools across three MSIGA states (Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey).

Why doesn’t Delaware have real money online poker? The Delaware Lottery’s exclusive igaming provider contract was up for bids in 2023. There weren’t many takers. After 888 withdrew its bid for a renewal the contract fell to Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive (RSI), which didn’t have an online poker platform to launch when online casino and sports betting went live in December 2023. The online poker rooms at Delaware’s three racinos went dark in the final days of 2023.

RSI has said that it will launch an online poker product in Delaware at some point but has not provided a timeframe. In March 2022, RSI bought Run It Once Poker, a platform that poker aficionado Phil Galfond started as a project back in 2016. Since Delaware is a member of MSIGA, RSI could launch Run It Once in either one state or several — but we think an initial rollout in Michigan and New Jersey sometime in 2024 is the most likely scenario. After RSI combines its player pools in Michigan and New Jersey, it will likely look to add other MSIGA states, with Delaware presumably at the top of the list.

A bold move would be for RSI to launch online poker simultaneously in three states — Delaware, Michigan, and New Jersey — and create an online poker network to go head-to-head with rivals WSOP and PokerStars. An even bolder move would see RSI launch poker in those three states plus West Virginia, which just joined MSIGA in 2023. The company doesn’t currently have market access in Nevada.

Features Expected from Run It Once Poker

Although RSI is still developing the platform, five features are expected to be included in the Run It Once poker software:

• Splash the Pot — a loyalty program that randomly adds rewards to the pot and helps keep bots off the platform
• Dynamic Avatars — players select an avatar, which displays facial expressions based on the player’s most recently-observed playing style
• HeroIQ — an optional built-in heads-up display (HUD) system
• SNG Select — a version of lottery jackpot sit and gos (SNG)
• Auto Seating & Fixed Buy-in — cash games are offered through a blind lobby system of auto-seating, allowing players to quickly join a table (but they can’t seek out specific opponents)

Also, when Run It Once previously operated, it ran daily and direct rakeback promotions. There were also Hold’em and Omaha variants of poker on offer.

Delaware’s Three Racinos

Delaware is home to three racinos, facilities that offer horse racing and land-based casino gambling — Bally’s Dover, Delaware Park, and Harrington Raceway. Each is authorized to offer igaming with oversight by the Delaware Lottery.

Bally’s Dover

Formerly known as Dover Downs, Bally’s Dover is the newest of Delaware’s three racinos — welcoming racing fans for the first time in 1969.

Bally’s Dover is at the center of a massive sports and entertainment complex located just north of the state capital, Dover. Bally’s manages (but does not own) a casino, a hotel, and a harness racing track at the center of the complex. Surrounding it all is the Dover Motor Speedway, a NASCAR track owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.

Horse racing and auto racing both launched in 1969, when the property opened as Dover Downs. The first casino on site, Dover Downs Slots, opened in 1995. First managed by Caesars World, Dover Downs took over the casino’s operations in 2004.

Bally’s, then known as Twin River Worldwide Holdings, acquired the horse track and the casino in 2019. The property was rebranded as Bally’s Dover in November 2021 — part of the company’s overall rebrand of Twin River as Bally’s.

Delaware Park

Delaware Park is the state’s first racino. It also has an envious location — it’s not too far from I-95, is close to Wilmington, and is a short drive from Philadelphia as well.

The track first opened in 1937. Years of intense competition from other horse tracks along the East Coast, coupled with a decline in the popularity of horse racing in general, forced the track to briefly close in 1983, the same year it was purchased by the Rickman family. The track rebounded under the Rickmans, and was helped even more when Delaware legalized slot machines in 1996 and table games in 2010.

Online casinos launched in November 2013. The Rickmans sold the track to Toronto-based Clairvest Group Incorporated for $71 million a little more than eight years later — in December 2021.

Harrington Raceway

Harrington Raceway is located on the fairgrounds of the Delaware State Fair. It’s the oldest horse racetrack in the state, having first opened in 1920. A major renovation was completed in 1968.

Like Delaware Park, Harrington struggled with increased competition and a decline in the popularity of horse racing. And like Delaware Park, Harrington also benefited from the introduction of slot machines in 1996 and table games in 2010.

Full House Resorts, a casino developer once bankrolled by former Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca, and GTech Corporation had a 15-year agreement to manage what had started as a slot parlor in 1996. Harrington took over when the agreement expired in 2011.

Delaware Online Poker FAQ

Is online poker legal in Delaware?

Yes, you can play poker online in Delaware! We recommend the two types of sweepstakes poker sites that are out there: subscription-based, and so-called “modern” sweepstakes. You can win prizes that can be redeemed for real money playing both types of sites. Real money online poker is expected to become available again in the near future — when it does, we will recommend it, too.

Does Delaware have real money online poker?

Currently, no — but it is expected to return! Real money online poker first became legal and available in Delaware in November 2013. 888 began serving as the Delaware Lottery’s exclusive igaming provider at that time, but the Lottery switched providers to Rush Street Interactive (RSI) in 2023. RSI is currently developing its Run It Once Poker platform, which is expected to launch sometime in 2024. It’s not clear when RSI plans to launch Run It Once in Delaware, so there is currently a blackout for real money online poker in the state.

Is subscription poker available in Delaware?

Yes, subscription poker sites are available in The First State. Players pay a monthly fee to gain access to tables that offer prizes that can be redeemed for real money. The subscription-based poker site that we recommend is ClubWPT.

Can I play modern sweepstakes poker in Delaware?

Yes, modern sweepstakes poker sites — where players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Players use Sweeps Coins to get a seat at sweepstakes tables that offer real money prizes. We recommend Global Poker for those interested in playing modern sweepstakes poker.

Are there online cash games in Delaware?

Yes, Global Poker has cash games. Since Global Poker is a modern sweepstakes poker site, players must use Sweeps Coins to access the tables that offer prizes real money prizes.

Does Delaware have online tournaments?

Yes, you can find tournaments on both ClubWPT and Global Poker. Both sites have their schedules packed with daily, weekly, and monthly tournaments, many of which are their own unique branded series. Run It Once Poker, a real money online poker site currently in development by Rush Street Interactive (RSI), will likely also host tournaments once the platform launches.

What types of poker games are available online?

Most tournament action is No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH) on ClubWPT. Global Poker has a little more variety — NLH is the most common, but the site also offers variants like Omaha Hi-Lo. Bounty tournaments and sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments are also available on Global Poker. Run It Once Poker will likely offer some poker variants when it launches.

When will Run It Once Poker launch in Delaware?

While RSI hasn’t announced any firm plans, it has hinted that it will launch Run It Once Poker sometime in 2024. However, we expect that RSI will launch Run It Once in Delaware only after it launches the platform in larger states for online poker (i.e. Michigan, New Jersey).

Will there be tournaments on Run It Once Poker?

Yes, there will very likely be Run It Once Poker tournament action once the platform launches. Although Run It Once did not support tournament play before RSI acquired it in March 2022, inclusion in a future rollout is considered essential if it’s to compete against BetMGM Poker, PokerStars, and WSOP — each of which regularly host tournament play.

Could any other poker operators launch in Delaware?

Not at the moment, no. RSI successfully bid to become the Delaware Lottery’s exclusive igaming provider in 2023. It took over from 888 and started offering online casino gaming and sportsbook in the final days of 2023. But state lawmakers have been agitating for change — a House panel recommended last December that the state have more than one operator for sports betting, and a lawmaker introduced a bill to that effect in April 2024. At this early stage, it’s unclear if lawmakers’ appetite for having more than one operator extends to poker — but it could.

Is PokerStars legal in Delaware?

No, PokerStars and the other top real money online poker operators in the US — BetMGM and WSOP — are not available in Delaware because RSI serves as the Delaware Lottery’s exclusive igaming provider.

Can I play online poker on offshore sites?

We strongly discourage players from using poker sites based offshore. This is because offshore poker sites don’t offer the same level of consumer protections as legal, regulated sites. Players who visit offshore poker sites are at risk of having their identity stolen when they disclose their financial and personal information. US officials have warned their citizens not to use offshore sites because they have no legal recourse under federal law to collect any winnings.