It was a slow start for online casinos in West Virginia when they first began launching in July 2020.
Gradually, though, iGaming in the Mountain State has picked up steam. And in March, the industry reached a new peak.
According to data from the West Virginia Lottery, online casinos in West Virginia reported a whopping $20.68 million in revenue last month, the first time the state has cleared $20 million since launching iGaming nearly four years ago.
In addition, WV sports betting generated $4.41 million in revenue while accepting $47.22 million in bets.
DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel help pace online casino revenue
More than two years into online casino gaming in West Virginia, licensees had yet to combine for over $10 million in revenue. Since first crossing that threshold, they have only continued to grow.
Over the past six months, WV online casinos set single-month revenue records five times, including February’s total of $17.46 million.
Now, a new record has been set. In addition, those online casinos in West Virginia generated some $3.1 million in state tax revenue.
The license of Hollywood Casino Charles Town, bolstered by DraftKings Casino, topped the industry with around $7.8 million in revenue. Meanwhile, The Greenbrier, which boasts BetMGM Casino WV and FanDuel Casino WV, was right on Hollywood’s heels with $7.2 million.
All told, WV online casinos have amassed nearly $388 million in revenue that has led to over $59 million in state tax revenue.
Breaking down WV sports betting revenue
As for the West Virginia sports betting market, handle jumped to $47.22 million in March, up 20% from February and 4% year-over-year.
Revenue, meanwhile, climbed to $4.41 million. While that represents a 24% month-over increase, it is also down around 1% from the same time in 2023.
Since launching in August 2018, sportsbooks in West Virginia have exceeded $2.4 billion in accepted wagers, while revenue climbed over $210 million.
In March, the license of The Greenbrier, featuring the likes of FanDuel Sportsbook WV and BetMGM Sportsbook WV, led the state with $23.1 million in handle, leading to $2.4 million in revenue. Paced by DraftKings Sportsbook WV, Hollywood Charles Town reported some $20.1 million in handle and $1.6 million in revenue.
More online gambling expansion coming to West Virginia
The West Virginia legal gambling landscape expects to expand further in the coming months. Recall this past fall that West Virginia joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement to allow online poker players in West Virginia to compete against players in other states once the first WV online poker platforms go live.
In February, West Virginia Lottery Director John Myers told PlayWV that he expected the first sites to launch in early 2024, although that never came to fruition due to “other priorities.”
While Myers conceded that online poker will serve as a “moderate” revenue generator, he did provide something of a timeline that the first operators could launch in West Virginia “later this year.”
