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State Rep. Darryl Scott, (D-Del.), on the state’s decision to legalize online gambling in an effort to protect jobs in the state and boost state re...
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It's a Delaware making a big bet on any way to build up state revenues it is now the first state to legalize online gambling.
Delaware expects to bring in at least three point 75 million dollars in the first six months.
Drop in the bucket it already brings in 250 million dollars a year from gambling at three -- so why bother to find out we turned down.
Democratic state representative Darrell Scott who sat on the committee that passed this bill thank you for joining us.
Thank you for having me.
So it seem like kind of a small now what is the point behind this what poll are you filling with this money in and how big do you think the revenue stream could become.
Well that the initial -- the additional revenue stream may be small but the primary reason for doing this was -- was protecting jobs the three casinos that you mentioned.
In -- over 2000 people and Delaware's a small state.
So 2000 jobs as it is incredibly important as you said over 250 million dollars is treated to our power generator for our State's revenue.
So the money that you're getting from this BB three million dollars or seven point seven over the next year.
Is -- go to lower fees to the casinos so that they are tax taxes are less onerous right.
It is it is so that the primary reason one -- to protect those jobs lower the fees and in return the casinos have to reinvest those dollars either in additional marketing dollars -- -- programs.
-- debt service or capital improvements and again allowing him to respond to the competition we're seeing from Pennsylvania and Maryland.
And surrounding states.
Creating more competition with this online gaming I mean that's just one other way for people to gamble and stay at home instead of going to the racetrack.
Well it.
We're providing people an additional way in which to to Damon -- with respect to people staying at -- and -- gaming.
Mean we're we're very.
Aware of the problems of I guess -- the issue problem gaining.
-- -- every dollar that's bad there's dollar set aside to deal with that issue and just to continue on that on that issue.
The controls that are in place.
-- online are much are much better than nothing going into casinos a person can designate the not a time that they playing.
The amount of money they wish to wager.
And what's either of those specials -- -- they have a cooling off period that that they have to wait before they can make any chance to keep kids from doing an online -- being online is pretty anonymous.
Well that it's it's a good question and -- one that was discussed extensively throughout the year committee and now while the bill was debated on the floor.
What we're doing here is not -- the technology that will be used has been used in Europe for over a decade.
With regard to children there's age verification systems that at which that which will be used by the vendor that manages this -- In fact a company that I manage outside of the legislature has been doing age verification for years as well so I'm very confident in our ability to manage.
Access by children.
And it's space original or -- -- I -- -- I wanna -- -- -- that point a little but I mean how do you do it exactly does my understanding of the software is that.
It it looks at your Twitter or your -- of the capital that's one way to do it may mean you could set up profiles -- all kinds of ages but doesn't seem like how how does that work.
Yet he.
Yes so we can't don't know they the vendor will be looking at third party -- -- -- databases like DND or other public records.
He'll be he'll be asked a series of questions and you'll have to answer and allow us to be able to verify you are do you say your in the -- -- -- And if they can't.
Then you'll have to go into one of the casinos in order to complete the process.
And what about -- trying to keep people from out of state from gambling online because that's another issue that you would face.
If it actually -- that I mean the law only allows us to allow gaming to occur in the states so just as they do in Europe.
With GPS technology and through the computer they're able to tell where your where you're located.
And again if they can't -- if we cannot verify that your within the boundaries of our state you won't be able to play how support have you have for this -- mean other people in your state that are worried about creating a whole new way to gamble.
Yeah there there are Mena as as with any time -- -- -- expansion of gaming there been those that have expressed concerns.
But -- is many here express concerns there are those that are currently employed.
And and the communities that are supported by the people living and working in the casinos that were expressing support for this.
So when you look at you know small state of 900000 people in 2000 people employed by this industry.
It's it's a very important industry for us to protect representative Scott thanks for coming on tonight will be interested to follow this story and see how it develops.
Thank you very much for having me.
