The state of Delaware has some of the most progressive gambling laws in the nation, and with a long history of victorious collegiate athletic programs and a love of the outdoors, it’s no wonder Delaware’s residents love Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). If you’re curious about how DFS betting works in the state, how it was legalized and what the future may spell for DFS, keep reading.

Todd Winkler, Editor at online-gambling.com

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Todd Winkler has been an editor at online-gambling.com for 6 years. His focus is on guides and articles about poker games, blackjack, and DFS. With relatives in New Zealand, he is also well aware of the gambling industry in the country.

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Daily Fantasy in Delaware

In 2017, Delaware became the 14th state in the USA to officially legalize Daily Fantasy Sports. This is not entirely surprising, as Delaware is one of the most progressive gambling states in the nation. Delaware has a host of great gambling options available, from online sports betting and casinos to a popular state lottery.

Online Daily Fantasy Sports in Delaware – Overview

Before DFS was legalized in 2017, there was a lot of confusion surrounding the legality of DFS in the state. This prompted state lawyers to order major DFS operators to stop players from playing in the state because it was deemed illegal gambling. One year later, Governor John Carney signed bill HB 249 which recognized fantasy sports as a game of skill as opposed to a game of chance.

The bill demands that DFS operators must pay the state an annual fee of $50,000 as well as pay 15% of the revenue generated from the state’s players. This has meant only DraftKings and FanDuel are large enough to operate in the state. It wasn’t long after DFS was legalized that the state became the first in the country to take a legal real-life sports bet. Below, we’ve listed some of the most popular sports leagues in Delaware and how they are played on DFS.

Online Daily Fantasy NFL – A Touch Down For Football Lovers

While no National Football League teams call Delaware home, this doesn’t mean that Delaware residents aren’t huge fans of the league. In the popular NFL Fantasy League, contestants are asked to build a team of 9 NFL players and put them head-to-head against other contestants’ teams. Points are scored depending on the real-life performance of players, which means that if your offense scores a Running Touchdown, for example, you earn 6 points, while if your Defense makes an Interception you can earn 2 points.

Online Daily Fantasy NBA –Don’t Pass Up On This!

Another favorite sport to watch for Delaware natives is the NBA – whose own Donte DiVincenzo is now a star player for the Milwaukee Bucks. The NBA Fantasy League sees contestants drafting a lineup of 8 players. Scoring is based on the real-life performances of your team’s players in that round e.g. 1 point for every point scored, 2 points for a block. To keep things fair, contestants must stick to salary caps every week while building their team – but as players perform better, their prices increase.

Online Daily Fantasy MLB – A Diamond Chance!

Delaware residents, like the rest of the nation, love watching baseball, and they seem to love playing it in fantasy sports just as much as well. MLB Fantasy asks players to draft a team of 10 players, with a limit of 5 hitters. Points can be earned for stealing bases, home run, etc.

Online Daily Fantasy NHL – Cold Hard Cash To Be Won!

Delaware may not have any teams in the National Hockey League, but they do have a proud history of minor league teams that have gone on to feed the NHL with some star players. The NHL Fantasy League sees contestants drafting teams of 9 players and awards contestants points based on their chosen player’s goals, assists, and blocked shots.

College Fantasy Sport – A Fightin’ Chance

Delaware may not have any teams in any major professional leagues, but they are home to one of the most successful collegiate athletic programs in the nation. The University of Delaware’s Fightin’ Blue Hens compete in the NCAA Division I Championships and have won six national championships in their storied 117-year history. There last national title was achieved in 2003, but this hasn’t stopped fans coming out to cheer them on.

Recognized by many in the NCAA Division as a long-time, respectable power, Fightin’ Blue Hens games have been known to attract tens of thousands of fans – which goes to show how mad about football Delaware’s residents really are. While some states ban the drafting of college leagues in fantasy sports, this is not the case for Delaware, so you can rest assured if you’re hoping to put your best Fightin’ Blue Hens players up against longtime rivals from Pennsylvania’s Villanova Wildcats.

Timeline of Daily Fantasy Sports Legislation

Delaware has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to progressive gambling legislation. As one of the few states that were exempted from the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that made sports betting illegal, Delaware was the first state to accept a sports betting when PASPA was overturned in 2018. It was also the third state to allow online casino games

Now that Daily Fantasy Sports are legal too, it seems Delaware doesn’t have much further to go in terms of legalization of gambling. Below is a table of important years in Delaware’s gambling history. For more information on gambling in the state, visit our dedicated Delaware gambling page.

Legal Daily Fantasy Betting Age in Delaware

The gambling age laws in Arkansas stipulate that players must be over 18 years old to bet on Daily Fantasy Sports, the lottery and bingo, and over 21 years old to gamble at casinos. If a player is caught gambling underage, it is considered a Class A misdemeanor and is punishable with no longer than a year in prison or a fine of $1,150.

• DFS Betting Age
  Players must be over 18 years old to legally gamble in Delaware.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal drinking age in Delaware is 21 years old.
• Weed Age
  Recreational smoking of cannabis is still illegal in Delaware.

Is Daily Fantasy Betting Legal Outside of the State?

Even though by mid-2017 Delaware was the 14th state to allow Daily Fantasy Sports, two years later there are a total of 41 states that have brought in specific legislation giving DFS that go ahead. But while DFS betting is now legal in most states across the USA due to the 2006 classification of Daily Fantasy Sports as a game of skill as opposed to a game of chance, there are still nine states that deem DFS betting illegal. These states include Idaho , Hawaii, and Arizona. In some cases, these states have specifically outlined the illegality of DFS or gambling in general. There is a chance that a few of these states will move toward legalization, though in most cases these states show little interest in legalizing gambling of any kind, regardless of whether they are games of skill or games of chance. However, you shouldn’t play the guessing game when laws are concerned. Check our daily fantasy betting in Indiana page to learn the latest about a state where this activity is legal.

The Best Fantasy Sports App in Delaware

For all the lovers of mobile gameplay, you have a lot to be excited about. Most major DFS operators have created mobile apps for betting as well as have developed websites that are fully mobile optimized. This means that you can make drafts without needing to use a laptop or desktop computer, making it the most convenient way to pick your teams. Based on our experience, we recommend using the Draft Kings app for DFS betting due to its ease of use and speed.

Taxes on Daily Fantasy Winnings: Legal Overview

All winnings from DFS are subject to federal taxes. Gambling winnings must be declared in your annual tax return as they are fully taxable at a rate of 25%. As for DFS-specific winnings, it is, in fact, the operators that are stuck with the large tax rate of 15% of user-generated revenue, so this is not something that players will need to worry about. For more information, visit the website of the IRS or Arkansas’ Delaware Division of Revenu.

Upcoming Regulation Changes to Be Aware Of

As of writing, there have been no recent announcements of regulation changes to be aware of for Daily Fantasy Sports betting. As mentioned above, Delaware’s legalization of DFS left for a pretty open playing field for players to bet on all leagues freely. On top of this, while many other states are also battling with legislation changes not just for DFS but for online sports betting, Delaware has also been quick to legalize this too.

Current laws see sports betting limited to on-site betting, but this believed to be changing in the future. For the time being, Delaware’s lawmakers are taking things slowly while they navigate the best options to safeguard citizens as well as meeting the needs of the gaming industry.

Daily Fantasy Guides for Nearby States

• Maryland
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• New York