William duPont, Jr. (1896-1965) and Donald P. Ross (1902-1973) designed and built Delaware Park Racetrack. Phillip T. Harris of Media, Pennsylvania was hired as the architectural engineer. The facility opened on June 26, 1937. The original Delaware Park facilities consisted of an open-air, 7,500 seat grandstand with an innovative tiered Clubhouse/Turf Club on the upper level. The track itself was a one-mile dirt oval with a pair of steeplechase turf courses. The backstretch contained stables for over 1,200 horses. In 1958, the Park was expanded to include a new clubhouse and the enlargement of the grandstand, resulting in the doubling of the seating capacity. Televisions were added and the winner's circle was built. Successes stabilized and remained consistent throughout the next few decades. Because of competition and disinterest in horse racing, Delaware Park officially closed its doors on September 6, 1982. The track reopened in the spring of 1984. In 1994, under the direction of the Delaware State Lottery, legislation was enacted to introduce slot machines at Delaware Park. In 2010, the legislature brought forth an official bill legalizing live table gaming and June 18, 2010 marked the first day of Delaware Park's full-fledged casino operation.