Bally's Dover Casino Resort
4.2(6.5K)google
2.8(233)yelp
ResortLuxuryNight-FriendlyLocal Life
Overview
Bally's Dover Casino Resort, formerly Dover Downs, is a hotel, casino, and racetrack complex in Dover, Delaware. It has a .625-mile (1.006 km) harness horse racing track, which is surrounded by Dover Motor Speedway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) concrete track used for NASCAR motor racing events. The complex is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Bally's Corporation, excluding the motor racing circuit, which is owned by Speedway Motorsports.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration0.5-1 day
Best TimeThis indoor casino, dining, and harness-racing resort is a year-round attraction operating 24/7. The optimal experience is Friday or Saturday evening between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM when the live entertainment venues, restaurants, and gaming floors bustle with energy and vibrant light displays.
Getting ThereSituated right next to the Dover Motor Speedway, drivers can take US-13 North directly to the resort's grand entrance, which features a spacious multi-level garage and valet service. Public transit riders can use DART Route 107 or 301, stopping nearby within the commercial hub.
Travel Tips
- The resort shares structural links with the speedway; on critical race days or headline concert dates, the covered multi-level parking decks reach capacity instantly and lock access to non-hotel guests. Casual players will be rerouted by police to gravel outlots requiring a 15-minute foot trek.
- Due to the spatial connection to the open speedway complex, heavy winter storms generate severe wind-tunnel friction and hidden patches of black ice across perimeter crosswalks. Park inside covered lower levels to prevent windshield icing, and stay exclusively on heavy rubberized anti-slip mats while entering.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- Delaware statutory code rigorously outlaws all digital photography, recording, or live video streaming within the gaming matrix. Pointing a camera at slot displays, live card tables, or cashier cages triggers immediate detection by overhead surveillance, resulting in device seizure and unconditional ejectment by security and DGE agents.
Reviews
Positive
- The gaming floor is large with a great variety of slots and table games, and ventilation keeps smoke to a minimum.
- Hotel rooms are spacious and beds are comfortable, with higher floors offering panoramic views of the Dover Speedway.
- It offers diverse dining options from upscale steakhouses to an all-day buffet, and the staff is generally helpful.
- Ample free self-parking and valet options are available, with clear signage leading into the casino.
Heads up
- Some unrenovated hotel rooms feature stained carpets, dated fixtures, and inconsistent shower water pressure.
- Room rates skyrocket and double during race or festival weekends, making it a very poor value during peak times.
- The separation of non-smoking areas isn't thorough enough; cigarette smell still leaks heavily into nearby walkways.
- The front desk check-in process is painfully slow during afternoon peaks, with confusing queues causing frustration.