Delaware Takes in $322,000 in Sports Bets on First Day

The state of Delaware began offering sportsbetting services on Tuesday, becoming the first state to offer the service after the Supreme Court tossed out the ban on the activity. The wagers proved to be popular, as the tiny state brought in $322,000 in wagers in the first 24 hours.

While $322,000 may not seem like a huge amount, the state's population is just over 960,000, with only a portion of which are old enough to place bets. The bets were taken at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Harrington Raceway & Casino, and Delaware Park properties. The first official wager was placed by Governor James Carney, who bet on the Philadelphia Phillies to beat the Chicago Cubs in a game played that evening.

Commenting about the new industry Governor Carney said, "For us, it's really an enhancement of our tourism industry. It will attract a lot of visitors to our state, particularly at this time of year, during the summer, coming to our beautiful beaches south of here. They come here and stop at the casinos and do slot machine and table gaming.

"This will be another opportunity for them."

Delaware became the first state to legalize sportsbetting in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, as they had a bill waiting to be fast tracked in the event of a favorable ruling. Politicians and casino industry executives were keen to be the first, as they can draw in visitors to gamble on different events throughout the world.