State Lottery Appoints Deputy Director

The Delaware State Lottery today announced the appointment of Helene M. Keeley to the position of Deputy Director, effective November 12, 2018. As Deputy Director, Ms. Keeley will be responsible for overseeing a number of functions within the Lottery office; including finance, human resources, technology and security.

Ms. Keeley is well known in the Delaware Lottery and national gaming communities having served for 22 years as a member of the Delaware General Assembly and and a long-standing member and current Vice-Chair of the House Gaming and Pari-mutuel Committee. She is an active leader of the National Conference of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS), the nation’s only organization for state lawmakers focused solely on public policy related to gaming. She served as the past President of NCLGS from 2014-2016 and more recently as Vice President of its Executive Committee and member of its Committees on Pari-Mutuels and State-Federal Relations.

“Helene has been a strong booster of Delaware’s casino and horseracing industries and a great advocate for maintaining a sound regulatory environment that enables gaming to remain an important contributor to our State’s economy and revenues,” said Secretary of Finance Rick Geisenberger. “The Delaware Lottery Office will be well served by her industry knowledge and more than 30 years of experience managing and driving improvements in the administration of diverse organizations.”

Prior to joining the Lottery next month, Ms. Keeley will have spent 14 years at the Department of Labor where she currently manages daily operations for the Business Services Unit of the Division of Employment and Training. Her prior experience also includes 16 years with Rosenbluth International where she rose to the position of Global Implementation Manager, overseeing the creation and launch of multiple worldwide office locations. These positions have provided her with a wealth of experience in policy and procedures, human resources, technology and security issues, as well as with managing multi-million dollar budgets.

“For many years, Helene Keeley has been an important partner in helping our agency provide a safe and sound regulatory environment for public gaming in Delaware and indeed the nation,” said Lottery Director Vernon Kirk, “so I’m pleased and excited to have her join the great management team we have here at the State Lottery Office.”

The Delaware Lottery strives to create a fun and exciting gaming environment while maximizing General Fund revenues that pay for vital state services. The Lottery Office is responsible for administration and oversight of all Delaware Lottery products including instant and draw games, video lottery and table games, sports betting, keno and iGaming. Since 1975, the Delaware Lottery has contributed more than $5.2 billion to the State’s General Fund including $212 million in fiscal year 2018.


Revenue Offers Assistance to Income Tax Filers

The Division of Revenue is aware that some business taxpayers may be struggling with the complexity of changes resulting from recent federal tax reform. For those businesses filing in multiple states, many of which have different rules and deadlines, the complexity is compounded. The Division recognizes that some taxpayers may have trouble meeting Delaware’s filing deadline because the extended due date of Delaware income tax returns coincides with the extended due date for federal returns.

As a result, the Division will consider requests for abatement of penalties for late filing, with reasonable cause, of any Forms 1100, 1100-S, 300, and 400 on a case-by-case basis – provided those returns are filed on or before November 15, 2018. Please note: you should not submit a request for abatement until after you have received a notice proposing the assessment of penalties.

The taxpayer’s request for abatement of late filing penalties due to reasonable cause should be submitted by email to: taxconferee@delaware.gov, or in writing to:

Campbell Hay, Esquire
Tax Conferee
Delaware Division of Revenue
P. O. Box 8714
Wilmington, DE 19801


Revenue Announces Threshold Updates Under the Delaware Competes Act

The Division of Revenue today announced the annual adjustments to filing thresholds for small businesses and employers under the Delaware Competes Act.

This notification is part of the Division of Revenue’s annual notification process, in which businesses and employers receive updates regarding their filing responsibilities for the upcoming year. The Delaware Competes Act mandates that thresholds are subject to an annual inflation adjustment, meaning that the thresholds’ future effectiveness will not erode over time.

New threshold information can be found by visiting the Division of Revenue web site at https://de.gov/threshold.


Delaware Launches Full-Scale Sports Gaming

VIDEO: Full-scale sports gaming launches in Delaware

At 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, Delaware launched a full-scale sports gaming operation at all three casinos in the state – Delaware ParkDover Downs Hotel & Casino, and Harrington Raceway & Casino. Betting offered Tuesday included single-game and championship wagering on professional baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf, and auto racing.

The Delaware Department of Finance, in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office, has determined that there are no legal obstacles to moving forward with full-scale sports betting in Delaware following the U.S. Supreme Court decision on May 14 to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Under state law passed in 2009, Delaware may authorize betting on professional and collegiate sports, with the exception of games involving Delaware-based teams.

To prepare and educate new consumers, the Delaware Lottery has published an online “how-to-bet guide” for SportsPick, the Delaware sports gaming product.

Governor Carney’s Remarks 


Delaware to Launch Full-Scale Sports Gaming on June 5

SportsPick will go live at 1:30 p.m. at Delaware’s three casinos next Tuesday

WILMINGTON, Del. – At 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 5, Delaware will launch a full-scale sports gaming operation at all three casinos in the state – Delaware Park, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, and Harrington Raceway & Casino. Betting offered Tuesday will include single-game and championship wagering on professional baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf, and auto racing.

The Delaware Department of Finance, in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office, has determined that there are no legal obstacles to moving forward with full-scale sports betting in Delaware following the U.S. Supreme Court decision on May 14 to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Under state law passed in 2009, Delaware may authorize betting on professional and collegiate sports, with the exception of games involving Delaware-based teams.

To prepare and educate new consumers, the Delaware Lottery has published an online “how-to-bet guide” for SportsPick, the Delaware sports gaming product.

“Delaware has all necessary legal and regulatory authority to move forward with a full-scale sports gaming operation, and we look forward to next week’s launch,” said Governor John Carney. “We’re hopeful that this will bring even more visitors into Delaware to see firsthand what our state has to offer.”

“We have worked closely with Delaware’s three casinos to train lottery and casino staff in preparation for a launch of expanded sports betting, and Delaware is prepared to move forward,” said Rick Geisenberger, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Finance, which oversees the Delaware Lottery. “We will continue to provide public updates and additional information through the Delaware Lottery ahead of next week’s launch.”

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Related news:
Delaware Moving Forward to Implement Full-Scale Sports Gaming
Governor Carney’s Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Sports Gaming