Following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling, Delaware was the first state to offer live sports betting outside of New Jersey or Nevada, further increasing its gambling revenue.ĭelaware Park is a multifaceted gaming facility that offers guests live seasonal thoroughbred racing, year-round simulcasting from around the globe, more than 2,300 slot machines on two spacious levels, and a sports betting parlor. William Rickman Sr., an experienced real estate developer from Maryland, reset the racetrack’s persona with smaller purses that drew cheaper horses still looking to make a break toward higher stakes.ĭelaware Park later benefitted from the 1995 legalization of slot machines and subsequently table games and parlay sports betting in 2009. They acquired the so-called “racino” when it was at threat of closure, facing increased competition from racetracks in neighboring states. The property had been owned by the Rickman family since 1983 and consists of over 100,000 square feet of gaming space. We look forward to partnering with Thomas Benninger, an experienced gaming investor, to continue the stewardship of this unique property”, said Michael Wagman, president and a managing director of Clairvest Group, said in a statement. “The Clairvest team is excited by the growth prospects at Delaware Park. It’s not immediately clear how much Rubico Gaming has invested in the venture. The central Clairvest firm acquired a minority share in the property worth $19 million, while one of its managed equity funds took the majority stake at $71 million, the firm reported. White Clay Creek Country Club, an 18-hole championship golf course, is not a part of the proposed sale and will remain an asset of the Rickman family.

He is a licensed gaming operator in multiple states and territories and has served on numerous corporate boards, including major casino operator Caesars Entertainment.

The casino and racetrack’s longtime owners, the Rickman family, announced in November that they had reached a sale agreement with the investment firm Clairvest Group and a newly formed subsidiary of Rubico Gaming LLC, run by experienced gaming investor Thomas Benninger.

| PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIAĬHRISTIANA – The coalition of investors led by a Canadian private equity firm closed its acquisition of Delaware Park Casino and Racetrack on Wednesday in a sale totaling at least $90 million. After nearly four decades, the Rickman family turned around Delaware Park and has sold it to industry investors.

Delaware park racetrack and casino