It seemed like we would never get legal online sports betting in West Virginia back. Then just like that DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook show up on our mobile devices and all is right in the Mountain State.
It seemed WV sports betting might not ever reach its full potential after several recent difficult stretches. The last five weeks have been drastically different, however, as the Mountain State’s overall betting handle has been positively impacted by a surge of betting on NFL games and college football futures.
Now, with just days until the official return of WVU and Marshall football, the launch of two online sportsbooks bring betting access to the whole state, regardless of location.
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The FanDuel sports betting app launched on Monday and was the first available betting app in the state in quite some time. Just two days later, DraftKings launched its online betting app.
This is fantastic news for both gamblers in the state as well as the betting market. WV residents are finally able to place wagers from their own homes instead of having to hike to one of only three retail sportsbooks in WV.
Mobile betting options will certainly increase handle and sports betting revenue in WV, but the retail sportsbooks have been holding their own of late.
Handle remained over the $2 million mark for the week ending Aug. 17.
Revenue figures were impressive, too. Sportsbooks made a profit for the fifth-straight week by pulling in nearly $375,000.
This week’s report includes activity from Aug. 11-17 for all five WV sportsbooks:
Mardi Gras Sportsbook and Wheeling Island Sportsbook are still closed. Neither paid out any settled wagers this week.
It will be two more weeks before the first online sports betting figures are reported.
WV Sports Betting Summary
Here are the latest figures released by the WV Lottery Commission since WV sports betting revenue tracking began in August 2018:
- Handle: $140,032,238.94
- Revenue: $13,207,186.38
- Taxes: $1,320,718.76
It was a solid week for sports betting in WV. It’s clear that football season is bringing more residents to the betting windows. Although handle actually dropped slightly, sportsbooks took in a quality total of $2,129,799.42.
Revenue figures have also been doing well. Sportsbooks made $374,142.57 for the week of Aug. 17, which was a 92% increase from the previous week.
WV sports betting revenue for the week ending Aug. 17, 2019
| Casino | Handle | Mobile Sports Betting Revenue | Retail Sports Betting Revenue | Total Revenue | Taxes (10%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino | $1,797,031.67 | N/A | $341,939.32 | $341,939.32 | $34,193.93 |
| Mountaineer Casino | $292,022.25 | N/A | $26,184 | $26,184 | $2,618.40 |
| The Greenbrier | $40,745.50 | N/A | $6,019.25 | $6,019.25 | $601.93 |
| Mardi Gras Casino | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Wheeling Island Hotel | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | $2,129,799.42 | N/A | $374,142.57 | $374,142.57 | $37,414.26 |
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Handle
Despite not hitting last week’s total, the sports betting handle in WV stayed over $2 million for just the second time in nine weeks. With football season here, bettors in the state have been making trips to the retail sportsbooks much more often.
Hollywood Casino led the way even though it came up just shy of last week’s figure as well. Its sportsbook has accepted more than $1.4 million in wagers in four of the last five weeks.
Mountaineer Casino finished second and was able to build on its handle from a week ago. It took in almost $300,000 in bets this week.
The Greenbrier had nearly $41,000 in handle for the week. This was within $1,000 of its previous week’s total.
Here’s how the WV sportsbooks rank for weekly handle:
- Hollywood Casino ($1,797,031.67)
- Mountaineer Casino ($292,022.25)
- The Greenbrier ($40,745.50)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($0)
- Wheeling Island ($0)
Major takeaway: Online sportsbooks will change market share
With FanDuel and DraftKings, the market share in WV could start to shift moving forward. The Greenbrier has always taken a back seat in the sports betting picture in WV because of the fact that it’s a private resort.
Now that it will be featuring an online sportsbook, however, The Greenbrier could start to gain some traction. Of course, the Hollywood Casino and DraftKings partnership are in prime position to continue leading the market.
In NJ, online sports betting apps brought in around 85% of the Garden State’s overall handle for the month of July. That’s a massive amount of the market.
DraftKings started out on top in New Jersey but recently was unseated by FanDuel. What does this mean for West Virginia? Time will tell.
Even though the percentage in WV won’t be that high initially, it’s a good indicator of what’s possible with online sportsbooks.
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Revenue
The state’s had a good run of late in terms of generating revenue. It’s now made money in five-consecutive weeks, four of which were over $190,000.
After gaining nearly $200,000 last week, sportsbooks were able to almost double that.
Hollywood Casino led in revenue as well, as it made a staggering 91% of the state’s total revenue for the week. The amount of $341,000 is its sportsbook’s highest net gain since March.
Although they both saw their revenue reduced by about half of last week’s, the other two active sportsbooks were still in the black.
Mountaineer Casino made a little over $26,000, while The Greenbrier added around $6,000. As mentioned, both Wheeling Island and the Mardi Gras Casino didn’t pay out any wagers for the week.
Here’s how the WV sportsbooks rank for weekly revenue:
- Hollywood Casino ($341,939.32)
- Mountaineer Casino ($26,184.00)
- The Greenbrier ($6,019.25)
- Wheeling Island ($0)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($0)
Major takeaway: WV bettors win big with online competitors
With both FanDuel and DraftKings entering the same untapped market simultaneously, they will truly be battling it out for WV’s top online app. While this might mean stress for the operators, the gamblers in the state will benefit greatly.
Both FanDuel and DraftKings will have promotions and various welcome bonuses in order to attract new customers. Since they are looking to beat each other in this regard, it’s possible that their offers in WV might be even better than what they’ve done in the past.
WV bettors will be able to determine which new-player offer might be better for them and go from there. With football season here already, it will be important for each sportsbook to acquire as many customers as possible in a very short period of time.
On the board for WV Sportsbooks
WV football
College football got underway this past weekend with a few games. This Saturday marks the first full slate of action, including both teams that reside in WV.
WVU and Marshall both open the new season at home as favorites against FCS opponents. DraftKings NJ has the following odds for their games:
- WVU -7 (-110)
- Moneyline: -295
- JMU +7 (-110)
- Moneyline: +230
- Over 52.5 (-110)
- Under 52.5 (-110)
- Marshall -40.5 (-110)
- VMI +40.5 (-110)
- Over 60.5 (-110)
- Under 60.5 (-110)
NFL
The NFL season is just about here, too. Bettors still have some time to get their season-long props and futures in.
According to DraftKings NJ, these players have the best odds of leading the NFL in rushing yards:
- Saquon Barkley +450
- Ezekiel Elliott +450
- Todd Gurley +1400
- Derrick Henry +1400
- Joe Mixon +1600
- Le’Veon Bell +1800
- Chris Carson +1800
- Nick Chubb +1800
