Posted on: January 26, 2024, 08:50h.
Last updated on: January 26, 2024, 09:04h.
Delaware Park Casino, located roughly five miles southwest of the Wilmington capital opened its modernized gaming floor on Thursday following a $10 million renovation.
In what was an undertaking to bring a little bit of Las Vegas and Atlantic City to northern Delaware, the casino rang in the opening of its refreshed gaming floor with showgirls, dignitaries, stakeholders, VIP guests, and employees. The $10 million project resulted in a newly arranged and updated casino floor that replaced the long rows of slot banks and dark carpets.
The new Delaware Park has 1,500 of the latest slot machines, along with about 400 stalwarts that remain popular with older gamblers. A dedicated “Link Lounge” has 49 popular games from Aristocrat Gaming, including Buffalo Link, Dragon Link, and Lightning Dollar Link. A high-limit slot room has also opened.
The old slot rows have been swapped out for more modern three-pod slot bases that maximize player comfort. The number of table games increased by six to 34, and a high-limit table pit has been introduced with midi baccarat, EZ baccarat, and blackjack.
At the center of the casino floor is the brand-new rewards club where loyalty members can check their offers, reprint cards, claim sweepstakes, and engage in the program.
Casino Modernization
Delaware Park is owned by Canadian private equity group Clairvest in partnership with Rubico Gaming. The ownership group acquired the casino for $90 million in the fall of 2021 after the property was owned by the Rickman family for almost four decades.
The $10 million investment was a year-long redevelopment to modernize the casino and transform the horse racetrack gaming hall into a Las Vegas-style gaming destination.
We’re bringing Las Vegas to right here in Delaware,” said Terry Glebocki, president and general manager of Delaware Park Casino & Racing. “The antiques are gone. It’s glitz and glamour now.”
Delaware Park is one of three casinos in Delaware along with Bally’s Dover and Harrington Raceway & Casino. The properties’ slots are technically video lottery terminals (VLTs) operated on behalf of the Delaware Lottery. The state lottery manages the central VLT system.
The racinos retain about 43% of each VLT machine’s gross revenue, while the lottery receives 38%. Eleven percent is allocated for horse racing purses and the remaining 8% covers vendor fees.
The racinos direct 15.5% of their table win to the state and 4.5% to track purses. The houses retain the rest of the income.
In the 2022 fiscal year (July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023), the three casinos won about $414.3 million on their slots and $53.7 million on their table games. Delaware Park was the richest of the trio, with the casino’s slots accounting for $163.2 million of the slot win and its table winning $24.5 million.
Enhanced Food Options
Along with the casino floor overhaul, the $10 million Delaware Park renovation brings several new dining options to the facility.
Foo Noodle is the casino’s new pan-Asian quick-service noodle bar. R Bar is an upscale bar adjacent to the high-limit slot room that offers seasonal hand-crafted cocktails and bar-top slots.
Rooney’s, a longtime staple at Delaware Park, has been upgraded with new menu options, including a brisket cheesesteak that is quickly becoming a patron favorite. Delaware Park says the brisket cheesesteak was ordered over 1,000 times since going on the menu this month.
