Rush Street Interactive (RSI) will support the Delaware Lottery’s igaming operations, including poker, online casino and slots, under the terms of a new partnership.
The five-year contract has seen RSI named as the vendor partner to the state lottery, with provisions for one year renewals for up to five years upon completion of the initial term.
An NYSE-listed enterprise, RSI is active in 13 US states via its BetRivers.com and PlaySugarHouse.com brands, offering betting and igaming. However, the firm has also actively begun participating in the lottery space as a provider of betting and gaming to state operators.
Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI, said: “We are honoured to be selected by the Delaware State Lottery selection committee to provide online gaming operations in the First State.
“This partnership is yet another significant milestone for RSI, as the confidence of a state-backed organisation, such as the Delaware Lottery, further validates the trust that lottery officials have in our award-winning online platform and customer service.
“Building on our proven track record of success in the tri-state area of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where RSI was an early entrant in the first online market in the US, we are honoured to collaborate with the Delaware Lottery team and the state’s three casinos to offer consumers who are geo-located in Delaware with safe, convenient, and innovative online gaming experiences.”
The Delaware Lottery currently generates around $1.1m- $1.2m from its gaming operations, having been the first state to legalise this business back in 2012.
Rush Street’s igaming offering for the Delaware Lottery will compete against three land-based venues which operate an online product – Harrington, Bally’s Dover, and Delaware Park.
Helene Keeley, Director of the Delaware Lottery, added: “Rush Street Interactive has established itself as a leading innovator in the industry, and is a respected iGaming and sports betting company.
“We are impressed not only with RSI’s successes in other jurisdictions, including neighbouring New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but also its strong commitment to responsible gambling practices.”
The state lottery had previously been working with 888 for its online operation, partnering with the LSE firm in 2012 to support the launch of its web igaming division. However, once its term ended, the global gaming operator decided it would not pursue another term and the lottery put the contract up for tender.
Rush Street is no stranger to the US lottery scene, having been the provider of sports betting to the Connectcut Lottery Corporation until a few months ago. It ended its relationship with the CLC earlier this year, with it unable to offer online casino gaming as part of the Constitution State’s gaming laws, despite DraftKings and Mohegan being allowed to do so.
But now entering Delaware, Rush Street may operate the state lottery’s igaming offering via the Run it Once platform.
The NYSE enterprise acquired Run it Once from the solutions’ founder, professional poker player Phil Galfond, in March 2022, but has not taken it live in any state market yet.
Keeley concluded: “We look forward to working with the well-respected RSI team. We reviewed proposed bids from other online gaming companies and suppliers, and the combination of experience and commitment to quality products, customer service, and responsible gaming is why we selected RSI.
“We’re delighted to begin this partnership and have no doubt that Delawareans and the customers of Delaware’s three casinos will be thrilled with RSI’s exciting library of offerings and industry-leading customer service.”
