Self-exclusion in Delaware
How to put yourself on Delaware's self-exclusion list, what it covers, and what it does not.
1 of 12 things on this page could not be confirmed from an official source. They are marked, and each one says who to ask. We would rather leave a gap than fill it with a guess.
- Programme
- The Delaware Lottery's Self-Exclusion Program - one programme, described identically on the Lottery's Video Lottery, Table Games and iGaming pages: 'The Self-Exclusion Program was established to allow people with a gambling problem to voluntarily exclude themselves from all gaming activities at licensed Delaware video lottery agents (Delaware Park Casino, Bally's Dover Resort & Casino, and Harrington Raceway & Casino) and their iGaming websites. Self-Exclusion also includes the Lottery's iGaming/Sports Mobile app.'delottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
- Covers online betting
- Yes. The programme covers the three casinos' 'iGaming websites' and, expressly, 'the Lottery's iGaming/Sports Mobile app'. That single sentence is what brings online casino play and the Lottery's sports betting app inside the same exclusion you sign for the casino floors.delottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
- Covers casinos and shops
- Yes, for all three casinos: 'all gaming activities at licensed Delaware video lottery agents (Delaware Park Casino, Bally's Dover Resort & Casino, and Harrington Raceway & Casino)'. The teeth are unusually sharp - 'Any person whose name has been placed on the self-exclusion list, who thereafter knowingly enters a gaming area, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.' On top of that, 'If you do play, you shall not collect any winnings or recover any losses. Any winnings collected by a player while on the self-exclusion list are subject to forfeiture. You will not be able to receive complimentary goods or services or credit or check cashing privileges, nor can you receive/activate free play offers.'delottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
- Covers the lottery
- Not confirmed. This is the gap in an otherwise clear Delaware answer, and it is an odd one because the programme is run by the Lottery itself. All three of the Lottery's self-exclusion pages define the scope as gaming at the three casinos, their iGaming websites and the Lottery's iGaming/Sports Mobile app. None of them says whether being on the list stops you buying ordinary Delaware Lottery products - draw games such as Powerball and Play 3, scratch instant games, or Keno - at a lottery retailer. The Lottery's Play Responsibly page does not address it either; it gives the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems helpline (1-888-850-8888) and links the three self-exclusion pages, and nothing more. Because the pages name specific venues and apps rather than 'all Lottery products', do not assume counter sales are covered. Ring the Lottery on (302) 744-1669 and ask before relying on it either way. Check with Delaware Lottery (Delaware State Lottery), Delaware Lottery Office, McKee Business Park, 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904. Self-exclusion line (302) 744-1669; main office (302) 739-5291. Director: Helene Keeley. Delaware's problem gambling helpline is the Delaware Council on Gambling Problems on 1-888-850-8888..delottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
- How long you can choose
- One year, five years, or lifetime: 'When you request self-exclusion, you will choose whether you want to be excluded for a minimum of one year, five years or for your lifetime.' Note the word 'minimum' - the periods are floors, not end dates.delottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
- Can it be undone
- Lifetime is permanent: 'If you sign up for lifetime, you cannot be removed from the list.' For the shorter terms there is no early exit - 'If you choose the one-year or five-year option, you must remain on the list for at least that length of time' - and when the period is over, coming off is not a form you can post: 'Once your requested time period has ended you may appear in person at the Lottery office and request to be reinstated, should you decide you would like to be removed from the program/list.'delottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
- What happens when it ends
- It does not end by itself. Reaching the end of your one or five years changes nothing on its own: you stay on the list until you travel to the Lottery office in Dover in person and ask to be reinstated. In the Lottery's words, 'Once your requested time period has ended you may appear in person at the Lottery office and request to be reinstated, should you decide you would like to be removed from the program/list.' A lifetime exclusion never expires and cannot be lifted.Delaware sits at the safe end of this question, and the in-person requirement that makes enrolling awkward is the same thing that makes the exclusion durable: there is no way to drift back in, and no way to be let back in by email or telephone. If you want the exclusion to hold, the end of the term requires nothing of you at all.delottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
- How you sign up
- In person only, at one office, and this is the practical blocker. Everything must be done at the Delaware Lottery office, 1575 McKee Road, Suite 102, Dover, DE 19904-1903, Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM excluding state holidays. The Lottery strongly recommends booking - 'To schedule an appointment, please call (302) 744-1669' - and warns that 'Walk-ins are accommodated, when possible, but immediate assistance cannot be guaranteed without an appointment.' You cannot do it remotely at either end: 'Application forms cannot be requested by phone and mailed', and asked whether you can post the completed form back, the Lottery answers 'No. You must submit the application form in person at the Lottery office. The requirement to file in person is for your protection. Only you can place yourself on the Self-Exclusion list.'delottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
Worth knowing before you start
Delaware is simple and strict, and its one real obstacle is geography. A single programme covers all three casinos, their online casino sites and the Lottery's own iGaming and sports betting app, so unlike several states in this batch you are not asked to join three separate lists for three separate channels. But you must turn up in Dover in person to join - the form cannot be posted to you, cannot be posted back, and the Lottery is explicit that only you can add your own name. If you live far from Dover or cannot easily travel on a weekday, plan for that and ring (302) 744-1669 to book a slot rather than hoping to be seen as a walk-in. Two consequences are worth knowing before you sign. First, this exclusion is backed by criminal law, not just house rules: knowingly entering a gaming area while on the list 'is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor', and any winnings are forfeit while losses cannot be recovered. That is a real deterrent, but it also means a lapse is not merely embarrassing. Second, the exclusion is durable in the way that matters most - nothing expires on its own, and returning requires another trip to Dover in person, so there is no quiet drift back. If your gambling includes ordinary lottery tickets or scratchcards from a shop, note that we could not confirm whether the list reaches those; see the lottery field above and ask the Lottery directly. And as everywhere, bank and card gambling blocks sit underneath all of this and are worth setting at the same time.
Done? The rest of the hour: blockers, a bank block, closing the accounts, telling one person.
Every fact on this page was read from an official source and dated. The oldest of them was checked on 3 October 2026. Tell us if something here is wrong.