No matter how you look at it, January was a massive month for retail and online casinos in West Virginia.
January revenue numbers showed improvement in every vertical, headlined by online casinos generating $10.9 million in monthly revenue. This represents a 6.3% increase over December’s $10.3 million and a year-over-year growth greater than 60% from last January’s $6.8 million revenue.
January also marks the fourth time online casinos brought in more than $10 million in the last five months. While that number will be harder to reach during the slower summer months, it shows great promise for the market’s sustained growth.
Online casinos in West Virginia top $300 million handle
West Virginia online casinos had a monthly handle of $320,490,417.10 in January, meaning they paid out $309.5 million to winners throughout the month.
Both these numbers are 6.6% gains from December, where casinos accepted $300.6 million in bets and paid out $290.4 million. They also represent year-over-year gains of 60% in revenue (from $6.8 million in Jan. 2022) and 56% in handle (from $192 million in Jan. 2022).
Greenbrier held the top spot in the state for handle and revenue. Its apps BetMGM Sportsbook WV and FanDuel Casino WV combined for a $150.3 million handle (+9.9% MoM) and $5.7 million in revenue (+13.8% MoM).
Second was Hollywood Charles Town, with its main apps DraftKings Casino WV and PointsBet Casino WV recording a $132.5 million handle (+5.4% MoM). Its $3.9 million revenue was comparatively lower than Greenbrier’s, resulting in a -1.2% change month-over-month.
Lastly, Mountaineer’s handle was $32.7 million (-15% MoM) from its apps, BetRivers WV and Caesars Casino WV. Though the handle was significantly lower, its $1.3 million revenue was 2.4% higher than last month.
WV video lottery numbers continue to impress
West Virginia’s video lottery machines made up most of the monthly casino revenue.
The state’s five retail casinos totaled $35.1 million for the month, up 18.6% MoM. This came from a total handle of $442.6 million, up 21.6% MoM.
Hollywood Charles Town accounted for over 55% of all video lottery handle for the month ($247.3 million; +22.4% MoM) and nearly 60% of all revenue ($20.6 million; +28% MoM).
Wheeling held the number-two spot with a $77.2 million handle (+5.9% MoM) and $6.4 million in revenue (+6.7% MoM).
Rounding out the podium, Wheeling had the highest month-over-month gains. Its $67.2 million handle was up 32% MoM, with $5.9 million in revenue, up 29.6% MoM.
Mardi Gras also had sizeable gains, with $46.8 million in handle (+16.7% MoM) and $3.8 million in revenue (+20.6% MoM).
Despite being the top online gambling operator in the state, Greenbrier took a hit with its video lottery machines. It accepted just $4.2 million in bets (-20.8% MoM) and reported $217.6K in revenue (-42.6% MoM).
Table games see a 15% boost month-over-month
Table games revenue totaled $8.1 million across retail casinos, up 15% from $7 million in December. As with video lottery machines, Hollywood Charles Town accounted for the majority of that revenue.
- Hollywood Charles Town: $5.2 million (+10.6% MoM)
- Mardi Gras: $1.2 million (+$67 MoM; 0.00%)
- Mountaineer: $890K (+45.1% MoM)
- Wheeling: $593K (-4% MoM)
- Greenbrier: $252K (-38% MoM)
As for individual games, blackjack continued to be the top performer. January revenue for popular table games was:
- Blackjack: $2.6 million (+9% MoM)
- Craps: $771K (+19.5% MoM)
- Roulette: $928K (+32.6% MoM)
- Poker: $396K (+18.1% MoM)
- Three-card poker: $351K (+14.8% MoM)