Online gambling in West Virginia is set to expand once again.
Golden Nugget will be launching both an online casino and online sportsbook in West Virginia in the near future. The gambling giant is now prepared to debut in the Mountain State thanks to a partnership with The Greenbrier.
Golden Nugget must first pass regulatory approval before actually going live, but all signs point to these new online platforms becoming available soon.
This is massive news for bettors of all types in WV.
Golden Nugget has provided online casino betting in New Jersey since 2013 and is regarded as one of the top online casinos in the Garden State.
The Golden Nugget WV sports betting app is also available in the NJ market. It released in February 2019.
Once Golden Nugget’s online casino goes live, it will be the third such offering in WV.
It joins DraftKings Casino WV, which released in July, and BetMGM Casino WV, which followed shortly after in August.
Golden Nugget Sportsbook will become the sixth online sports betting app available in WV.
Golden Nugget Online Gaming’s owner and chief executive, Tilman J. Fertitta, is excited about growing the brand. According to iGaming Business, he said:
“The partnership with The Greenbrier is an important milestone for the Golden Nugget online gaming expansion plans. We look forward to providing West Virginian players with our best-in-class product.”
While more platforms are a boon for bettors in the state, this announcement is crucial for The Greenbrier.
With three online sportsbooks and two online casinos, it’s in position to dominate the WV market in the coming months.
Golden Nugget coming to WV
There have been recent rumblings that more online betting apps would be coming to residents in the state. As soon as WV online casinos were legalized, it seemed as if it were a matter of time for several to launch.
Although there are only two in the market at this moment, they’ve had plenty of success.
After a slower month in October, online casino betting exceeded $34 million through the first two weeks in November.
Overall, DraftKings and BetMGM have accepted over $230 million in wagers since releasing about four months ago.
With the WV market seeing this much action in such a short period of time, it appears as though it can get substantially larger.
It’s almost surprising that it’s taken this long for another operator to join the rotation. Since each retail casino can feature a total of three online skins for both sports betting and casinos, it’s just a question of when more launch.
Dr. Jill Justice, The Greenbrier’s president, also spoke about the private resorts’ newest venture. She said:
“The Greenbrier is excited about this new partnership and adding to the incredible casino offerings already in place for our guests, members and friends throughout West Virginia. Golden Nugget has proven itself as a market leader in the industry, and we’re confident it will deliver a product that matches the lofty standard that defines America’s Resort.”
More online options should continue to benefit residents.
With both online casinos and online sportsbooks, the addition of more apps creates more competition. This means that operators will need to give customers more promotions and deals in order to keep up with the rest of the market.
Golden Nugget will likely reward new users with some form of welcome offer to attract some attention, too.
Its NJ sportsbook offers a $100 bonus bet when you sign up. Its online casino includes a $10 free credit after joining, and a 100% match on your initial deposit up to $1,500.
WV bettors might not get these exact deals, but it’s a good indication of what could be coming with Golden Nugget.
The Greenbrier taking control
When Golden Nugget’s online sportsbook and casino debut in WV, The Greenbrier will have a firm grasp on the entire gambling market.
Up until recently, the private resort was already seeing a large portion of the online sports bets in the state.
Its combination of FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM WV Sportsbook took in more than $38 million in betting handle during September.
Hollywood Casino’s DraftKings Sportsbook app only saw slightly over $12 million in wagers in the same time frame.
Even though there are now several other options like William Hill and Betly, they are all still too new to compete just yet.
The discrepancy between The Greenbrier and Hollywood Casino has tightened more recently. However, DraftKings has still fallen short in online sports betting handle by around $3 million over the last month.
The emergence of an additional online sportsbook in Golden Nugget should only increase the current gap.
If Hollywood Casino doesn’t add a second sportsbook skin soon, it could start to fall way behind.
It’s a similar situation in regard to online casinos.
Golden Nugget will soon become The Greenbrier’s second online casino, while three of the five retail establishments don’t have any.
The positive news for Hollywood Casino is that it won’t be working from behind already. Its DraftKings Casino accepted over $38 million in the last month, compared to around $22 million for The Greenbrier’s BetMGM Casino.
That being said, it’s highly likely that two online casinos will start to produce more than one. This is especially the case when they are the quality of BetMGM and Golden Nugget.
As far as Mountaineer Casino, Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island are concerned, they may need to release an online casino soon before the market is completely established.
