The three casinos in the small eastern state of Delaware could soon be paying less tax after lawmakers provisionally approved legislation late last week that would lower the overall duty on slot revenues by a full percentage point to 42.5%.
The measure sailed through the Delaware House of Representatives by a vote of 35 to four and is now set to be put before the similarly Democratic-controlled Delaware State Senate. If subsequently passed by the upper legislative chamber and signed into law by Democratic Governor John Carney, the measure would reportedly result in Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, Casino at Delaware Park and Harrington Raceway paying around $11 million less in tax this year.
The burden would purportedly fall by about an additional $6 million in 2019 as the legislation also includes a 13.9% cut to 15.5% on the tax for table games while allowing venues to invest in their properties in order to avoid paying an annual license renewal fee.
The three local casinos mentioned above employ almost 3,000 people and that the tax cut would help the venues to stay afloat as they compete against rivals in the neighboring states of Maryland and Pennsylvania.
