Delaware Pubs and Restaurants Benefit from Football Betting
Since Delaware decided to allow betting on professional football in bars and restaurants, the sale of football parlay cards has increased 40%.
Since Delaware decided to allow betting on professional football in bars and restaurants, the sale of football parlay cards has increased 40%.
In the final weeks of last month almost $263,000 was wagered, a period that included three weeks of NFL preseason games.
According to State Lottery Directory Vernon Kirk, the preliminary revenue figures for the start of the season show stronger gains than last year.
In the opening two weeks of the NFL season total sales reached $2.4 million, an increase of 52% with 15% of sales coming from parlay cards from non-casino retailers.
A total of 31 taverns and restaurants in Delaware sell the state’s NFL parlay cards and these establishments have seen a significant rise in the number of customers since they began selling the cards.
Paul Ogden, the owner of the Famous Tavern chain in New Castle County said that “it has done exactly what I knew it was going to do. It puts, as I call it, butts in the seats. That’s what it’s done for the places.”
Ogden further commented that “this is not for the big-time gambler. It’s for me and you, neighbours going to the local pub and, for the heck of it, putting down 2 bucks.”
