After five months with just two of the nation’s most popular sports betting apps operating in the Mountain State, online sports betting in West Virginia grew by a third.
BetMGM WV Sportsbook becomes the third online sportsbook in West Virginia with the launch of its popular mobile sports betting app. It is the second online sportsbook to operate under The Greenbrier license.
West Virginia becomes the second betting market for BetMGM. The online sports betting app is already live in New Je Sportsbookrsey and has plans to launch soon in Nevada.
Of course, BetMGM’s launch couldn’t be better timed.
Launching before the busiest sporting event of the year is smart. Betting on the Super Bowl LIV is almost certainly going to produce record online handle in the Mountain State and across the nation.
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The BetMGM WV sports betting app
West Virginia sports betting fans will find the BetMGM simple and easy to use. It includes all the major sporting events and bet types.
It is only available for Android and iOS devices; however, there is currently no web browser betting at BetMGM.
If you don’t have an account, it is easy to get one. Once you sign up and log in, you will have access to all of your offers, promotions and bonuses.
For new WV sports bettors, BetMGM offers a $500 First Bet Offer.
How to get $500 bonus bet:
- Download the BetMGM Sports WV app.
- Sign up and deposit into your account.
- Place your first bet.
If your first bet loses, you’ll receive up to $500 back after the bet is settled.
Click here to claim your First Bet Offer of $500.
Additionally, BetMGM likes to reward its bettors with promotions like the Monday Club.
With this promo, bet regularly and earn a bonus bet. Receive a bonus $10 bet every Monday if you place at least $50 worth of wagers in the prior week.
More promotions await, including:
- Bet Basketball Live
- Follow the Puck
- Boosted Odds
- Cash Out
- Edit My Bet
And for in-game betting fans, the BetMGM app has live streaming of the top sporting events of the day.
MGM has a 30-year history of gambling operations in the US. There is no doubt that West Virginia will benefit from having BetMGM available to bettors.
Online sports betting in West Virginia
BetMGM may be launching sportsbooks at a slower rate than other companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, but it wasted no time in setting up partnerships with the major sports leagues, including:
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
It also touts the fact that it receives official data from the NFL. Not a bad affiliation as we approach the big game.
As Super Bowl, and now March Madness betting dominates our feeds, it is BetMGM’s brand recognition and collaboration with Yahoo Sports that will help the sports betting app gain market share in West Virginia.
Acquiring customers is a tough task when the nation’s two most popular betting apps, DraftKings and FanDuel, have been operating for months.
Overall, online betting hasn’t grown as fast as it has in New Jersey. In fact, online sports betting handle has only surpassed retail handle a few times in the Mountain State.
To compare, in December, online handle in New Jersey accounted for 88% of all bets. In West Virginia, the online handle was only about 46% of the total.
There are several reasons why the growth of online betting is slower in West Virginia than in other states, but mostly it comes down to the lack of marketing by the online sportsbooks.
Will BetMGM put some marketing dollars into the state? If it does, it certainly will gain market share and help spur growth in the overall market.
More good news for West Virginia sports betting
But wait, there’s more.
Soon after the launch of BetMGM, West Virginia Lottery Director John Myers said sports betting could restart “very, very soon” at Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras sportsbooks, the books opened their betting windows.
Just in time to capitalize on the Super Bowl betting frenzy, Mardi Gras and Wheeling accepted their first bets in 11 months.
Delaware North, the operator of Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island partnered with IGT for its sports betting operations.
The books at both West Virginia casinos are sporting a new look and brand name, betly.
Kim Florence, president and general manager for Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack, commented on the news bettors in the area have been waiting nearly a year for in a press release.
“We are so pleased to reopen our sportsbooks at both West Virginia casinos. We are looking forward to welcoming back our valued guests by providing reliable, best-in-class sports betting experiences.”
Both sportsbooks will have betly kiosks, as well as, traditional teller windows. Bets over $1,000, however, must be made at the window.
“We have worked for months and months to get something that we feel is an exciting way for our guests to come in and place wagers on their favorite sporting events,” Brian Knost with Mardi Gras Casino told MetroNews.
“It cuts down the lines at the window,” Knost said about the kiosks. “Guests can go up to the kiosks and they can place their bets there and get a voucher. Should they win on that particular bet then they take it to the cage and cash in on that bet.”
Of course, the next logical question is when the two books will launch a mobile sports betting app. As expected, Knost indicated it will be “very soon.”
