DE and PA Slot Machine Competition

It is way too early to tell who will win the slot machine competition, but there will be a competition. With PA awarding their slot machine licenses across the state, nearby Delaware may need to add more slot machines to compete. Pennsylvania is looking at adding 61,000 slot machines, while Delaware has been very happy having a minimal amount of slot machines only in certain areas.

Slot machine opponents have always said that once you let one slot machine casino in - they will multiply like rabbits until they take over the entire state. However, Delaware is a perfect case in point that slot machines do not have to proliferate – although they may now want to. Up until this point, non slot machine areas and slot machine areas have co-existed in the state with no problems. Sussex does not have slot machines, but Dover Downs does. Neither eclipses the other, there is no competition – but this could all change.

With PA adding slot machines, last year Delaware’s General Assembly got a wild hare and decided to add more slot machines to their exiting casinos. They also approved them to give out coupons and have longer hours. Initially there was much discussion over these things, and they were denied for good reason. However, with the impending PA slot machine takeover, it seems Delaware is panicking a little and handing out freebies just to keep slot machine business.

They need to accept that they are going to lose some of their clients to the PA slot machines, and some will stay with them. Some will do both – but they have to be careful not to ruin the already good thing that they have going on with their slot machines, because it will be much harder to rein them in than it was to let them out.



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