Among the general discussions on how to improve land gambling operator fortunes heard at a Delaware gambling industry executives meeting this week, state lottery director Vernon Kirk told the state Video Lottery Advisory Council that he hopes to have online gambling up and running by the end of September.
Answering a question from Dover Downs CEO Ed Sutor, Kirk said Delaware and Nevada officials discussed the possibility of an interstate compact that would allow gamblers in the two states to compete online between each other.
Although Delaware was the first US state to legalise intrastate online gambling working toward implementation with draft regulations and requests for proposals, its three land casino operators are under pressure from competition in neighbouring states - particularly Maryland.
As Maryland lottery officials reported last week, Maryland Live! operation has been a great success with more than $51 million from slot machines and table games last month. The Maryland casino’s June revenue increased by $22.9 million, up 80.5 percent compared to June 2012.
However, Delaware state has appointed a commission tasked to define the best way to assist the land operators, expecting the report next January.