
Key points:
- The council saw the need for a third office due to rising mobile sports wagering trends
- The new office in Smyrna has meeting spaces for volunteers, counselors and staff
The Delaware Council on Gambling Problems (DCGP) has opened a third office in efforts to expand its reach around the state, according to a Salisbury Independent local news report.
The third office is in Smyrna, located in Kent County.
The Smyrna office joins the ranks with DCGP’s Wilmington and Georgetown locations. It will be home to office and meeting spaces for its volunteers, staff and counselors.
DCGP Executive Director Arlene Simon told local news that rising trends in mobile sports betting promoted the organization to open a third office site.
She said, “With the recent law that now allows mobile online sports betting in Delaware, we continue to see a surge in internet gambling – and the growing number of lives being impacted by problem gambling.”
She went on to explain the potential advantage of having three offices around the state.
Simon commented, “Being present in all three counties provides better opportunities to serve the state of Delaware as a whole. We want to reach more people where they are.
“We want to raise awareness and make it easier for those seeking help to reach out to a safe place filled with caring individuals who have real, firsthand experience with problem gambling.”
So far this fiscal year, total sports betting handle in Delaware has reached $67.9m, with more than 3.8 million tickets sold, according to the state report.
To date, 38 states have welcomed regulated sports betting since the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in May 2018, also known as the Bradley Act.