However, a proposal for a Wilmington casino that might have proved to be devastating for Delaware Park went nowhere. The Rickmans remained cautious as gaming competition intensified and did not invest in a standalone casino building.Ĭompetition popped up from the west at the Hollywood Casino in Perryville and casinos in the Philadelphia area. The Rickmans previously sold Ocean Downs on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to Churchill Downs, a company best known for hosting the Kentucky Derby.ĭelaware Park is a “locals” casino. Operators had complained that a higher “take” from the state had led to casinos operating on a break-even basis or at a loss. The Dover Downs sale came after the Delaware General Assembly made adjustments to the profit-sharing formula for casinos. The sale of Delaware Park had been rumored over the years, with the speculation increasing when Dover Downs Entertainment was sold to a Rhode Island casino company now known as Ballys. The group was joined by an experienced gaming industry professional (Rubico) who will presumably plot a path forward for the casino-racing complex. Clairvest was founded in 1987 by a group of Canadian entrepreneurs and had more than $2.5 billion (Canadian) capital under management.
