In a sudden turn of events two West Virginia casinos have suspended sports betting operations.
Effective immediately, Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras Casino, both operated by Delaware North, have stopped all retail and WV online sportsbook operations.
In a statement to Legal Sports Report, a Delaware North representative said:
“We have been informed by Miomni Gaming, our sports wagering platform provider in West Virginia, that they have encountered a contract dispute with a third-party technology supplier. This has resulted in the interruption of the Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras sports betting operations as well as the BetLucky.com mobile app from accepting new sports wagers.”
While Delaware North gave no time frame as to when operations will be up and running, they did say they will honor and redeem all “resulted” bets.
Market consequences
Currently, the BetLucky app is the only online option for sports betting in West Virginia. Online and mobile wagering has proven itself to be a valuable component in driving the market.
New Jersey is a perfect example of such success. In January, the handle from mobile/online sportsbooks accounted for almost 80 percent or $304.9 million.
Other online brands including DraftKings, FanDuel and William Hill are expected to enter the West Virginia online space in the coming months.
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Unanswered questions
Customers looking for answers by calling Wheeling Island will get a similar message.
“Unfortunately, we have decided to temporarily suspend sports betting at our Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras casinos via the BetLucky.com app. We are honoring all resulted bets and are working to resolve this situation. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
The Mountain State was one of the early adopters of sports betting legislation. They and several other states looked to capitalize on the US Supreme Court’s repeal of the federal ban.
There are three additional retail sportsbooks in operation:
- FanDuel Sportsbook at the Greenbrier
- Hollywood Casino
- The Mountaineer Casino
The state is also working on passing a bill that would authorize online casino and poker games alongside online sports betting.
The Senate just passed H 2934, and if the House concurs with some small amendments, it will head to Gov. Jim Justice to sign into law. Should things work according to plan, West Virginia would become the fifth US state with legal online poker and casino gambling.
