Dover Downs Casino is no more; site renamed Bally's Dover Casino Resort

Delaware State News
Posted 11/29/21

DOVER — Dover Downs Hotel & Casino is getting a new name.

On Monday, Bally’s Corp. announced the official kickoff to its rebranding of Dover’s casino to Bally’s Dover Casino Resort.

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Dover Downs Casino is no more; site renamed Bally's Dover Casino Resort

Posted

DOVER — Dover Downs Hotel & Casino is getting a new name.

On Monday, Bally’s Corp. announced the official kickoff to its rebranding of Dover’s casino to Bally’s Dover Casino Resort.

Casino visitors and passersby will start to see changes in December, when the interior and exterior signage, Bally’s dice, cards, gaming chips and table game layouts will be updated to reflect the new name.

“We are proud to bring the Bally’s brand to Dover, it’s an exciting time for our customers and team members. I’d like to thank the state of Delaware for its collaboration throughout this process, and I’d also like to recognize our team members for their contributions to this significant endeavor,” said George Papanier, Bally’s Corp. president, in a statement released Monday.

Casino-goers will also see a new rewards program — Bally Rewards, a four-tiered card system — which began Monday.

All existing rewards will be transferred to members’ new cards. Participants will earn Bally Rewards, tier status, exclusive offers, giveaways, casino multipliers and more, casino officials said.

Dover Mayor Robin R. Christiansen said he hopes the change will bring the casino back to pre-pandemic revenue levels.

“The only thing in this lifetime is change. While I’m partial to the Dover Downs name, certainly the owner/operators feel the name Bally’s Dover will bring new energy to the venue, as well as all of the changes they are making internally to the hotel and casino,” he said.

On Nov. 4, Bally’s Corp. announced a $314 million increase in revenue companywide for the third quarter of 2021, a rise of $198.2 million from the same period last year.

“This should bring them roaring back bigger and better to pre-pandemic levels. And that should be beneficial for Dover and Kent County,” Mayor Christensen said.

Rhode Island-based Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc. acquired Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in 2019.

Earlier this year, then-Twin River sold the real estate associated with the Dover casino’s campus to Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. for $144 million. As part of the deal, the new owners agreed to lease the property back to Twin River for $12 million per year.

The Dover Downs’ name change did not come as a surprise to industry watchers.

In November 2020, Twin River bought the Bally’s name and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Caesars Entertainment, and the company officially changed its name to Bally’s Corp. shortly after.

“The Bally’s brand is core to our drive to become the first omni-channel gaming company to seamlessly integrate and operate physical casinos with digital solutions,” Mr. Papanier said in a statement released last year.

Bally’s Corp. is a global casino-entertainment company with a budding portfolio of online and in-person experiences.

It currently owns and manages 14 casinos in 10 states, as well as a horse track in Colorado, and has access to online sports-betting licenses in 16 states.

It also owns Gamesys Group, an online gaming operator; Bally Interactive, a sports-betting platform; Monkey Knife Fight, a daily fantasy sports site; SportCaller, a free-to-play game provider; and Telescope Inc., a provider of real-time fan-engagement solutions.

The rebranding of the casino is not related to the announced sale of Dover Motorsports.
The casino and hotel and racing facilities were split into two companies in the early 2000s. The racing venture stayed independent and became Dover Motorsports. The gaming and hospitality firm is what Bally’s Corp. now owns.

On Nov. 8, Speedway Motorsports, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, announced that it had come to an agreement to acquire Dover Motorsports. The move would end the Delaware track’s more than five decades of independent operations.

For more details on Bally’s Dover Casino Resort, visit here.

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