DELAWARE STATE POLICE VIDEO LOTTERY ENFORCEMENT UNIT
The Delaware State Police Video Lottery Enforcement Unit (VLEU) reached the 10th year mark of its existence in 2005. The Unit was created in response to The Horseracing Redevelopment Act of 1994 to insure the video lottery locations operate free of criminal activity and to insure the security and integrity of the video lottery system is maintained. There are currently three video lottery operations in Delaware; Delaware Park in Wilmington, Dover Downs in Dover, and Midway Slots and Simulcast in Harrington.
The VLEU supervisor is Sergeant Michael D. Wilbur who has been in the Unit for nine years. The investigative staff includes Corporal/3 Ronald A. Durham, Corporal /3 Timothy M. Gallagher, Corporal/3 Mark H. MacMicking, and Corporal/3 Neal J. Potts. The Administrative Assistant duties are handled by Ms. Betsy M. McIntosh. The Unit is staffed with capable and experienced criminal investigators who deal with a variety of tasks, many of which are significantly different than those associated with traditional policing. The Unit has retooled over the past two years to tackle more criminal matters as opposed to regulatory responsibilities.
The VLEU is also responsible for the licensing of all employees, vendors and corporations working or affiliated at the three racetracks. This includes a criminal background check and personal interviews. The Unit must conduct in-depth corporate backgrounds of all vendors or technology providers wishing to do business with the Delaware Lottery to ensure and protect the integrity of the Delaware Lottery. The VLEU anticipates significant background investigation challenges with new technology providers scheduled to come on line in the fall of 2006.
Delaware racetracks and video lottery terminals are a major tourism draw for the state. The revenue generated contributes approximately $200 million dollars to the State’s general fund each year, the state’s fourth largest source of revenue. The industry has provided the general fund about $1.4 billion dollars in the 10 years since legislation was enacted. The Delaware State Police takes its responsibility seriously to ensure the video lottery operations are free of criminal activity and a high level of integrity is maintained.
The Delaware State Police VLEU serves as a role model for states across the nation considering and/or passing legislation enacting slots operations. Florida, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and the Rhode Island Gaming Enforcement Units, to name a few, have all visited Delaware during the past year. Information and technology is continually shared with other states. The continued regulation of the industry is paramount to the Delaware Lottery and the Delaware State Police even though the states surrounding Delaware will pose a significant financial threat to our local industry as other states develop their casino industry. The efficiency of the VLEU considering the staffing levels and the fact that Delaware utilizes a Central Computer System to monitor all VLT’s (slot machines) are key facets of our operation. All actions related to the individual VLT, from player activities to door openings are monitored by the computer system providing real time tracking capability. The redundant systems and independent testing makes follow-up a much simpler task operationally and in the event criminality is uncovered.
The members of the Video Lottery Enforcement Unit are dedicated to insuring the honesty and integrity of the video lottery operation. VLEU is continually working with the tracks, manufacturers, Delaware Lottery officials and gaming enforcement regulators from across the nation in order to provide an honest and safe gaming environment for all patrons throughout the State of Delaware.
