Delaware Lottery Shows August iGaming Up but Poker Down

Last updated on September 19th, 2020

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Online poker in Delaware seems to be taking the same route as it did in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. August revenue numbers show poker action was down online.

The good news is that the August online poker number remains more than twice what it was last year. The concerning news is that poker revenue dipped significantly from the previous month. As people began leaving their homes after the coronavirus pandemic-related lockdowns, some of them forgot about their online poker accounts.

On the other hand, internet gaming on the whole rose again.

The Delaware gaming market remains a small one that doesn’t compare in size or scope to New Jersey or Pennsylvania. But in the same vein as those states, Delaware shows that its online gaming market rose to the challenge during a time when land-based gambling was closed. That internet gaming revenue was a saving grace.

Let’s get to the August numbers as released by the Delaware Lottery.

Online Poker on a Delaware Roller Coaster

As with most online gaming sectors around the world, revenue increased during the initial months of lockdowns when the pandemic didn’t leave much choice. Delaware’s little online poker market saw that initial increase as well, nearly 100% in March but lesser in the following months.

The sixth month of the lockdown effect led to another downturn, after a slight uptick last month.

–August 2020 online poker rake/fees: $54,584.02 (12.8% month-on-month decrease)
–July 2020: $62,603.99 (8.4% increase)
–June 2020: $57,742.58 (38.6% decrease)
–May 2020: $93,973.39 (11.8% increase)
–April 2020: $84,033.67 (45.7% increase)
–March 2020: $57,689.50 (86.9% increase)
–February 2020: $30,870.96 (1.3% decrease)
–January 2020: $31,279.77

As for year-on-year growth, it remains exceptional. The pandemic turned people to online poker who didn’t know it existed or much about it at all.

That yearly growth was 124% in March and a massive 276% in April and 329% in May. It was just 141% in June and 121% in July, and growth was 116.2% in August. A downturn on a monthly basis but still a significant improvement over last year.

Internet Gaming Sector Back Up

For the entirety of the internet gaming sector, numbers were up again in August after a slowdown in July.

The Delaware online market revenue report includes online poker, table games, and video lottery numbers. Put together, it shows the little market that could, the one that keeps chugging along and bringing much-needed revenue to a small industry in a small state.

–August 2020 igaming revenue total: $808,623.37 (14.7% month-on-month increase)
–July 2020: $705,532.70 (26.9% decrease)
–June 2020: $964,606.96 (15% decrease)
–May 2020: $1,134,900.04 (32.6% increase)
–April 2020: $856,181.94 (66.3% increase)
–March 2020: $514,959.34 (58.5% increase)
–February 2020: $324,957.62 (16.2% decrease)
–January 2020: $387,865.46

As for annual growth, it remains significant, just as for online poker. The total internet gaming market was already showing regular year-on-year increases as 2020 began – nearly 38% in January and more than 18% in February. But pandemic months pushed it to 78% in March, 225% in April, 262% in May, and 275% in June. The July number was down monthly but notably up from the previous year.

Some of this growth is likely to continue, well beyond the pandemic and racino restrictions.

New Registrations Down Again

The obvious peak of this year was April. People in Delaware realized that the lockdown was going to last longer than a few weeks, and they sought out new forms of entertainment. Internet gaming was something that many had not considered before.

While the number of new registrations has been steadily decreasing, the March and April growth helped the three igaming sites a great deal.

–August 2020 new registrations: 571 (14.5% month-on-month decrease)
–July 2020: 668 (24.2% decrease)
–June 2020: 881 (11.3% decrease)
–May 2020: 993 (29.6% decrease)
–April 2020: 1,410 (52% increase)
–March 2020: 930 (115.8% increase)
–February 2020: 431 (7.9% decrease)
–January 2020: 468

Year-on-year growth is still impressive, though not as much so as in the second quarter. March saw almost 93% more new registrations year-on-year, with April up more than 288% and May up more than 186%. June was nearly 164% for the year, but July dipped down to just 40%. This month brought that percentage down further.