VLTs Produce $244M for Delaware Tracks

Video lottery terminals at the three racetracks in Delaware produced about $501 million -- almost half of which went to the tracks -- for fiscal year 2001, according to information provided by the Delaware State Lottery.

For the most recent fiscal year that ended in June, the three tracks -- Delaware Park, Dover Downs, and Harrington Raceway -- earned $244 million in revenue, or 49% of the total. The state got $176 million, or 35%; horsemen, through purses, received $55 million, or 11%; and vendors were paid $26 million, or 5% of the total.

The VLTs, operated by the lottery, were activated in December 1995 as part of the state's Horse Racing Redevelopment Act.

The most recent information available indicates Delaware Park and Dover Downs each have 2,000 terminals, while Harrington has 1,257. Dover Downs and Harrington are Standardbred facilities.

For August, the most recent month for which information is available, net proceeds from VLTs was $43.19 million. In August alone, the three tracks received $20.9 million -- $10.33 million for Delaware Park, $6.75 million for Dover Downs, and $3.82 million for Harrington. During that same period, purse accounts earned $4.7 million at the three facilities.

Dover Downs just opened Nov. 3. The harness track races six days a week for roughly six consecutive months and pays out more than $100,000 a day in purses.