CHRISTIANA — Delaware Park Casino and Racing continues to see more investment in the site from its new ownership – and this time, it’s a $5 million investment for an outdoor slot patio.The expansion, now underway and anticipated by next spring, will add 250 of the latest and greatest slot machines on the market in an open-air setting right near the casino’s race track. The covered patio provides an option for customers to enjoy fresh air and the ability to smoke while playing the slots, and it will be heated in the winter.
Delaware Park also offers a new brewpub and steakhouse concept, High Steaks Brewery, and plans are underway for a holiday-themed pop-up bar throughout the festive season. Last year, the casino opened the LIT Pop-Up bar for the first time.
For Delaware Park Casino’s President and General Manager Terry Glebocki, the renovation and new food and beverage concepts are “a huge step forward in the casino’s evolution.”
“Delaware Park has been a staple in the community for years, and under the new ownership, it’s allowed us to invest more in the property and grow the business in ways people are really looking for in a casino right now,” Glebocki said. “Right now, I think it’s comparable to anything you’ll see on the market.”
Officials from Delaware Park and the Delaware Lottery as well as DiSabatino Construction officials broke ground on the project earlier this week. | PHOTO COURTESY OF DELAWARE PARK
She would know, as Glebocki is a veteran of the gaming industry. Her career spans financial management roles in casinos up and down Atlantic City, including with Bally’s and the Trump Organization. Before she arrived at Delaware Park, she served as the CEO of Ocean Casino Resort in New Jersey where she worked to turn around the finances.
Rubcio Gaming, which acquired Delaware Park in 2021 through a joint venture with Clairvest Group, tapped Glebocki to lead the casino.
Under her leadership, Delaware Park just completed a $10 million renovation that included upgrading many of its 1,900 slot machines as well as major interior touches. But what she says may be a hidden gem of Delaware Park is the games themselves.
“Our slot machines are literally the best machines that any state can boast,” Glebocki said. “We were recently at G2E [Global Gaming Expo, a gambling trade show held in Las Vegas] and we had the chance to be on the casino floors. Anything they have when it comes to slots in Vegas, we have – and in some cases, more of it.”
When it comes to outdoor gaming, casinos have started to embrace the concept as the COVID-19 pandemic forced many industries that thrive off customers who stay longer to be innovative. But in recent years, there’s been a push in Atlantic City from casino workers to ban indoor smoking at the city’s nine casinos.
“There’s been some recent expansions, and usually if one casino puts in an outdoor patio, they wind up expanding it because it’s so popular with guests,” Glebocki said. “Our thought was to build a really big one to enjoy the amenity. There’s some outdoor patios in Maryland, and some of them are quite nice. I think it’s a phenomenon happening more across the country.”
The casino will also bring back 24/7 hour table games, returning to its pre-pandemic form on Nov. 8. Since March, Delaware Park has offered table games between 10 a.m. and 4 a.m. Monday through Wednesday. In January, Delaware Park also moved to 24-hour slot machines on the first floor.
“We had people lining up, waiting for the casino to open. So 24-hour slots were a really easy decision. Tables, it takes more manpower and we had to grow into that,” Glebocki said.
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