Overall, it’s been an incredible year for sports betting in the Mountain State.
Even with the extended slow period at West Virginia sportsbooks caused by COVID-19, betting handle and revenue made significant strides this year.
In total, sportsbooks accepted $257,315,331.54 in wagers in 2020. This report covers the betting figures from this most recent fiscal year, which stretched between July 1 – June 30.
As far as revenue is concerned, sportsbooks were successful here, too. They earned $19,146,699.07 in profits for the year.
The re-emergence of online sports betting apps certainly helped WV reach new heights over the last 12 months. Three mobile sportsbooks launched and immediately helped bring in more handle and revenue.
Online platforms include:
While the state previously had an additional online sportsbook, it wasn’t near the quality of the ones currently available. They helped drive plenty of betting over the last 10 months.
The online betting apps are a massive aid during the current sports calendar, as well. Although retail sportsbooks were closed and there still aren’t many popular betting markets offered, these mobile options were crucial.
They allowed sports bettors in the state to still do what they love from the comfort of their own homes.
Even though the biggest sports haven’t made their return to sportsbooks, the online apps always kept customers entertained with:
- Table tennis
- Korean baseball
- Various football (soccer) leagues
Now that it appears some of the main four American sports are coming back, it could be a few big months at sportsbooks. The state could use a boost in revenue since wagering has been so slow lately.
Sports will help, but so will the release of online casinos, which may go live at the end of July.
WV Sports Betting Handle
The last fiscal year was impressive for WV sportsbooks but could have been so much more. Right when online wagering was hitting its stride, the coronavirus pandemic struck the US.
With retail locations closed and barely any live sports being played, it was difficult for the market to stay above water.
Even with these unfortunate circumstances, sports betting saw a huge jump from year one to year two.
The more than $257 million in handle in 2020 is a 101% increase from 2019. Sportsbooks only took in around $128 million in the year prior.
Comparing the two years can be tricky, though. The 2019 fiscal-year report only includes betting from the start of September because sports wagering wasn’t available yet.
At the same time, the 2020 revenue numbers feature a 10-week hiatus from March through May. COVID-19 shut down all wagering at land-based sportsbooks and significantly hindered the online handle, as well.
The biggest difference between the two years is that online sports betting became a real factor.
In 2019, mobile wagering was around for just 11 weeks and only slightly helped raise figures.
In 2020, online sportsbooks were responsible for nearly $133 million in bets.
Of course, the retail sportsbooks that showcase an online platform have separated themselves from the rest.
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2020 Handle Rankings
Over the entire year, Hollywood Casino led the way with almost $162 million in handle. Besides having a great app in DraftKings, Hollywood’s retail figures are the best in the state.
It’s the largest casino in WV and because of its location, it attracts sports bettors from neighboring states.
During this time, DraftKings was responsible for around $70 million in handle, or 43% of total wagers.
The Greenbrier finished second nearly $69 million in overall handle. Unlike Hollywood, it relies on mobile wagering almost entirely because its retail book is actually private.
The combination of FanDuel and BetMGM accepted over $63 million in bets, which was 92% of the total.
Mountaineer Casino placed third among active sportsbooks, seeing more than $25 million in handle in 2020. The retail book still doesn’t feature an online platform.
Mardi Gras Casino and Wheeling Island Casino bring up the rear in terms of handle. Not only do they both not have a mobile app right now, but all sports betting was suspended until February.
Mardi Gras managed around $865,000 in sports bets, while Wheeling Island Casino only accounted for $582,000.
WV Sportsbook Revenue
Revenue figures were also strong this past year. The total of over $19 million in earnings was a 60% jump compared to 2019. Sportsbooks made about $12 million in revenue the previous year.
Once again, the availability of online sportsbooks made the difference. Overall, online betting brought in almost $8.8 million in revenue in 2020.
Hollywood Casino and DraftKings took the top spot for revenue, as well. The online sportsbook earned over $5 million during the fiscal year.
This represented about 40% of Hollywood’s total sports betting profits of more than $12 million.
The Greenbrier placed second after earning over $4 million in revenue. Similar to its handle breakdown, online betting produced the majority of income with nearly $4 million.
FanDuel and BetMGM accounted for around 87% of production.
Mountaineer Casino finished in third for revenue with slightly more than $2 million. This was actually a decent performance considering it doesn’t include a mobile betting app and its retail book was forced to close.
Mountaineer didn’t accept a wager for 10 straight weeks until casinos reopened in early June.
Since it’s the only sports betting location to never offer an online platform, comparing figures to last year’s is more useful.
Revenue was up 32% from last year’s total of around $1.5 million.
Both Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras struggled to earn much revenue in 2020. Their retail sportsbooks only took bets for seven total weeks.
Mardi Gras Casino earned a little over $65,000, while Wheeling Island generated around $30,000 in revenue.
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On The Board At WV Sportsbooks
With the return of MLS soccer, American sports are officially on the way back. Although sportsbooks are just making it through this period, plenty of help could be on the way.
The NBA and NHL playoffs are on the horizon, along with the start of the 60-game MLB season.
WV sportsbooks have you covered with futures wagers for all of these sports right now.
Baseball is scheduled to start up on July 23, with a full slate of games the following day.
Currently, DraftKings shows the following odds to win each league this year:
American League
- New York Yankees +175
- Houston Astros +350
- Minnesota Twins +800
- Tampa Bay Rays +800
- Cleveland Indians +1100
- Boston Red Sox +1300
- Oakland Athletics +1300
- Chicago White Sox +1500
- Los Angeles Angels +1500
National League
- Los Angeles Dodgers +170
- Atlanta Braves +600
- Washington Nationals +750
- New York Mets +900
- Louis Cardinals +900
- Chicago Cubs +1100
- Philadelphia Phillies +1100
- Cincinnati Reds +1500
- Milwaukee Brewers +2000