Published on: October 14, 2025, 12:47h.
Updated on: October 14, 2025, 12:47h.
- Delaware Park unveils a new outdoor slot patio
- Outdoor slot patio permits tobacco smoking, featuring 250 slot machines
- Delaware Park has historical ties to the du Pont family
Located in Wilmington, Delaware Park Casino is the second establishment in the state to launch a smoking-friendly gaming space.
On Tuesday, Delaware Park inaugurated its outdoor gaming area where smoking is allowed. The outdoor patio is larger than the smoking section at Bally’s Dover Casino Resort, which opened in October 2024, measuring a spacious 10,000 square feet.
With over 250 slot machines, Delaware Park’s outdoor gaming zone increases its total slot offerings to more than 1,900. This area will be operational year-round, benefitting from installed heating and cooling systems in the open-air structure.
“We are continuously exploring innovative ways to enhance our guests’ experiences,” stated Terry Glebocki, the president and general manager of Delaware Park. “We are excited to unveil the new slot patio, allowing our players to enjoy games in a fresh outdoor setting.”
While the outdoor patio permits smoking, it remains banned inside the Delaware Park Casino. Representatives indicate that this outdoor area provides “the perfect balance” for both smokers and non-smokers, adhering to Delaware’s laws prohibiting tobacco use indoors in most public venues and workplaces.
Connection to the Du Pont Family
The outdoor slot patio features six-foot-high openings along its perimeter, creating a breezy atmosphere below the overhead roof.
The facility is equipped with around 50 heaters, ensuring comfort even during the harshest winter conditions, while cooling systems will provide relief during hot summer days. Additionally, the slot patio will operate 24/7, year-round, consistent with Delaware Park’s schedule.
This $5 million smoking area is the latest in a series of investments at the Wilmington casino following its sale in 2021. The casino also completed a $10 million renovation in 2023.
In November 2021, Canadian firm Clairvest Equity Partners and Rubico Gaming, LLC, led by investment veteran Thomas Benninger, acquired Delaware Park for $90 million from the estate of William Rickman, who purchased the track in the early 1980s.
Delaware Park was developed and established in the 1930s by William du Pont Jr., a notable member of the Delaware du Pont family. The du Pont legacy includes tragic events, such as the infamous murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz by John du Pont, William du Pont Jr.’s son, in January 1996.
Staying Competitive
Established in 1937 as a racetrack, Delaware Park evolved into a racino in the mid-1990s when Delaware legalized slot-like video lottery terminals (VLTs) at its three horse racetracks. The addition of table games occurred in 2010.
Delaware Park leads the state’s gaming market among the three racinos. In the fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025), Delaware Park reported gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $169.6 million from its 1,869 slot machines, with its 55 table games contributing an additional $26.2 million for a total GGR of approximately $195.8 million.
Bally’s Dover ranked second with $159.8 million in GGR, where its 2,154 slots garnered $144.7 million and its 29 tables retained $15.1 million from players.
Harrington Raceway & Casino achieved a GGR of $117.9 million, with $102.4 million originating from its 1,312 slots and $9.4 million from its 26 tables.