Facebook to be used in tryout for online casino games in Delaware

Ed Yourdon / Foter / CC BY-SA

A tryout of online casino-style games is now available at the websites of Delaware’s three Video Lottery agents: Delaware Park, Dover Downs, and Harrington Raceway.  The free play is a prelude to the start of the first state-authorized online gaming systems in the nation, slated  for  launch by October 30.

 For the free play, each player will be provided “chips” for logging in and based on the spin of a virtual wheel. The player will use the free chips to play a number of casino games including slots, blackjack or poker. Registering for   free play will require a Facebook account.

 Once the full online gaming goes live later this year, a Facebook account will not be required, but a full battery of authorizations and verifications will be employed to authenticate a player’s identity and age, and also to ensure that the player is within the borders of Delaware when they play.

 Lottery Director Vernon Kirk said, “A lot of work has been going on over the past several months in order to allow the Delaware State Lottery to take this first step in providing a virtual casino for our customers. This is great opportunity for our patrons to get acclimated with the way Internet gaming works in preparation for the launch of the first-in-the-nation full casino-style legalized online gaming.”

 The Delaware State Lottery issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) earlier this year to select a vendor to deliver systems and services that will allow Delaware to become the first U.S. State to offer Internet-based,casino-style gaming to adult players who are present within the state. Scientific Games International–888 Holdings were the vendors chosen. 888 Holdings is a worldwide Internet gaming leader offering  poker and casino products across 150 global markets. Scientific Games has  experience in the gaming industry.

“When creating something new that no other state has done, you don’t have the benefit of past practices. We set out to create something publicly appealing with the proper infrastructure to support it,” said Secretary of Finance Thomas J. Cook, who is leading Delaware’s Internet gaming project and who, as a former State Election Commissioner, implemented Delaware’s first-in-the-nation uniform statewide electronic voting system in 1996. “At the end of the day, we want our product to be winner–attractive, engaging, and easy to use. While testing continues, we are confident that we will be ready to unveil Delaware’s Internet casino-style gaming offerings by the end of October.”