Online Sports Betting West Virginia
- Online Sports Betting West Virginia Lottery
- New Jersey Legalized Sports Betting
- West Virginia Online Sports Betting Revenue
- Online Sports Betting West Virginia
Sports Betting moves online in West Virginia
WV Online Sports Betting West Virginia was one of the earliest states into sports betting. In August 2018, it became the fifth state to legalize sports gambling and the third to approve online betting. FanDuel quickly took advantage of this opportunity by launching a WV online sportsbook in August 2019. Against sports gambling for years, has made sports betting legal. West Virginia legalized sports betting back in August of 2018. Each of the casinos located in the state operates a sportsbook. This is great for those located near these casinos, however, the majority of sports betting fans here prefer to make their wagers online. Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) will launch online sports betting and gambling in the West Virginia market. GNOG will supply its offering under one of The Greenbrier’s licenses. The deal will see a percentage of the net gaming revenue supplied back to The Greenbrier. WHITE SULPHUR SPRING.
West Virginia has offered legal sports betting since 2018. In that time, it has grown and developed from retail sportsbooks to more operators offering their online platforms and apps. Now, mobile sports betting is dominating the West Virginia gambling landscape. Of course, the Coronavirus pandemic is a significant contributor to this. Recent figures revealed only 2% of sports betting handle happened in retail sports betting windows. In the past two weeks alone, 98% of West Virginia sports betting took place on mobile sports betting apps.
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Coronavirus Changes Betting Methods
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has hammered the betting industry. The majority of the major US sports have still not returned to action, and many sportsbooks are closed across the country. However, states that decided to legalize online sports betting have been able to continue to accept wagers.
Those states have still seen betting activity take place despite the ongoing pandemic. Some sports returned relatively early, such as the German Bundesliga and MMA, so bettors have had some markets open to bet on. The Mountain State was one of those that have been able to continue to take sports bets thanks to their laws allowing online sportsbooks to be legal.
Whether current betting habits continue as the year progresses remains to be seen. It would seem unlikely that people will still bet online in the numbers we have seen when the NFL season resumes, as then retail sportsbooks will be open to the public.
Betting Activity Moves Online
Following the West Virginia revenue report’s release, it is clear that the coronavirus pandemic has affected its betting market. Over the last two weeks, casinos in West Virginia have started to open up their doors again. Consequently, retail sportsbooks will be able to return to action. The casinos will initially only be able to open to 50% capacity, so the customer base is limited. Furthermore, not every casino has opened in yet in the state.
Wheeling Island Casino and Mardi Gras Casino remain closed, and both have sportsbooks. With that being the case, a mere 2% of the sports betting handle in the last two weeks was produced from retail sportsbooks. In monetary terms, $46,757.80 of the total handle came from retail sportsbooks.
In contrast, $2.6 million of the sports betting handle can be attributed to online sportsbooks. Big-named operators have launched online sportsbooks in West Virginia, such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM sports. These operators have seen action despite the lack of sports, with bettors placing bets on international soccer and MMA.
The fact customers can register for a sportsbook account remotely has also been an enormous saving grace for the West Virginia sports betting industry. Moreover, in other good news for the state, it is expected that the Wheeling Island Casino and Mardi Gras Casino will open up again shortly. With the NBA formalizing comeback plans and the NFL season starting in a few months, the West Virginia economy should experience the green shoots of recovery.
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read more +After a bumpy start, West Virginia online sports betting has attracted three of the biggest sports betting apps to the state:
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- BetMGM Sportsbook
After, the launch and subsequent closure of West Virginia’s first online sportsbook, BetLucky, the WV sports betting crowd is relieved to have three popular options to choose from.
There are 12 sports betting licenses still available. It is entirely possible that more online sportsbooks will launch in West Virginia soon.
West Virginia’s online gambling options continue to expand with online casino gambling on the horizon.
In 2019, Gov. Jim Justice allowed the bill legalizing online casinos to become law. According to the West Virginia Lottery, the first WV online casino could launch soon.
A combined casino and sportsbook app might be just the enticement an operator needs to open up shop in the Mountain State.
While we wait for online casinos to go live, WV players still have plenty of gambling options in the state, including:
- Land-based sportsbooks
- Online sportsbooks
- Brick-and-Mortar casinos
- Traditional greyhound tracks
- First-rate horse racing
WV gambling fact sheet
| Is online sports betting legal in West Virginia? | Yes |
| Land-based sports wagering venues: | 5 active |
| Online sportsbooks: | 3 active; 15 available licenses |
| Do sportsbooks need a local partner? | Yes |
| Tax on online sports wagering: | 10% tax on operators |
Legal West Virginia sports betting
In May of 2018, the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a 1992 federal law that effectively banned commercial sports betting in most states.
This opened the door to states to legalize and regulate sports betting, effectively ending the monopoly that Las Vegas held.
Legal sports betting in West Virginia launched in Aug. 2018. By December, all five casinos had a sportsbook onsite. December also marked the launch of the state’s first online sportsbook, BetLucky.
Unfortunately, it was short-lived and BetLucky was forced to cease operations after just a few months due to a dispute with its sports betting partner. It also forced the closure of the Mardi Casino Sportsbook and Wheeling Island Casino Sportsbook.
It was disappointing to the WV sports betting crowd who were left without the ability to bet on one of the most popular events of the year, March Madness.
In Aug. 2019, online sports betting returned to the state just in time for the NFL betting season.
West Virginia mobile sports betting
The law restricts West Virginia online sportsbooks and mobile betting licenses to brick and mortar gaming license holders.
Today, only two WV casinos have partnered with a sports betting platform to launch mobile betting:
- Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
- The Greenbrier Casino Club
Hollywood Casino partnered with DraftKings Sportsbook. The Greenbrier launched two mobile sports betting apps:
- BetMGM Sportsbook
Delaware North, the owner of Mardi Gras And Wheeling Island casinos severed ties with Mionmi, the operator of BetLucky Sportsbook, in favor of a partnership with IGT.
It has since reopened its retail sportsbooks at both casinos with the betly platform from IGT. It is presumed online sports betting will resume with a betly sports betting app sometime in the near future.
West Virginia sports betting bonuses
With 12 sports betting licenses still available, West Virginia is primed to be a player’s market. One way a new sportsbook will gain ground in the Mountain State is by offering very attractive West Virginia sports betting bonuses.
For instance, the FanDuel WV sports betting bonus offers new players a $500 risk-free first bet. Simply place a bet and if you lose, FanDuel will refund your bet (up to $500) in the form of site credits. The BetMGM sports betting bonus is similar.
Another example is the DraftKings sports betting bonus. It offers a free $25 bet to new players. It is pretty simple, after completing the registration process, a bettor receives $25 in free bets to use as they wish.
Additionally, all three online sports betting apps offer several attractive promotional codes for WV sports betting, odds boost, and free contests to help you take your betting dollar a bit further.
Legal West Virginia online casino gambling
Online casinos became legal in West Virginia on March 27, 2019.
Gov.Justice allowed the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act to become law through lack of action, just as he did with the law allowing for online sports betting.
West Virginia law states that a bill becomes legal if the governor does not sign or veto it after 15 days.
With online casinos now legal in WV and the emergency rules filed with the Secretary of State, online casinos could launch as early as July 2020.
While there is no confirmation on which online casinos will be launching in WV, casino gamblers in the state can probably expect to see:
Online Sports Betting West Virginia Lottery
- DraftKings Casino
- FanDuel Casino
- BetMGM Casino
Also, considering the popularity of poker in West Virginia, PokerStars may set its sight on launching in the Mountain State.
West Virginia land-based casino options
West Virginia began offering horse racing and greyhound racing in 1931. Legal bingo was introduced in 1980. Lotteries became the third type of legal wagering in 1984.
A decade later in 1994, the law evolved to allow the race tracks to install and offer video lottery. Video lottery machines were allowed to expand into bars in 2001.
Video lottery terminals, VLTs, are the same as other video gaming terminals and slot machines. The term VLT is named such because these machines are regulated by the state’s lottery commission.
Serious progress was made in the West Virginia gambling scene in 2008 when the state made it possible for legal table games.
New Jersey Legalized Sports Betting
Only the five West Virginia land-based casinos are eligible to operate a retail sportsbook, online sports betting app and online casino.
There are four parimutuel-based casinos in West Virginia:
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is in the eastern part of the state and attracts players from Baltimore and Washington D.C. Its location makes it the highest-earning casino and sports betting operation in the state.
Mardi Gras Casino & Resort is in the western part of the state and attracts players from Southern Ohio and Kentucky.
West Virginia Online Sports Betting Revenue
Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack and Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort are in the northern part of the state and attract players from Columbus, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.
Online Sports Betting West Virginia
The fifth casino is The Casino Club at The Greenbrier. This is the newest addition to the state’s casinos. It is a private club and the only one that requires players to be guests of the hotel or have an invitation to an event to gain access.