Relief came in the form of a bill pushed through by Kent County legislators worried about continuing cutbacks in staff. It wasn’t long afterward that Dover Downs, controlled by the Rollins family, sold out to Rhode Island-based Twin River, now known as Ballys. That’s when rumors of the Rickmans cashing out started.Ī staggering blow came out of the financial crisis of 2009 when the General Assembly raised one of the nation’s lowest profit-sharing arrangements with casinos to one of the highest.ĭover Downs, which spent heavily on a casino-hotel-convention center, struggled to break even. Privately held Delaware Park never revealed its financials, but with lower overhead costs should have been marginally profitable. The glory days ended as Maryland and Pennsylvania gave the green light to casinos. That helped Delaware Park remain a locals casino with an active racing schedule. They chose not to build a glitzy casino and hotel. The Rickmans’ heart seemed to be on the horse racing side of the business.
