West Virginia sports betting finally had a solid week. Sportsbooks were able to make a profit for the first time in three weeks. After being in the red for three of the last four weeks, the books were able to pocket $221,453.64 for the week ending on Feb. 23.
During what is considered a slow sports betting period, the market did quite well in the Mountain State. WV sportsbooks were back to taking in more than $4 million in total handle. This is now the sixth time they hit that mark over the course of the previous two months.
Another encouraging sign is that four-out-of-five sportsbooks were able to finish the week with positive revenue. Only the private betting book at The Greenbrier fell into the negative.
This week’s report includes activity from Feb. 17-23 for all five WV sportsbooks:
- Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
- Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort
- Mardi Gras Casino & Resort
- Wheeling Island Hotel
- The Casino Club at The Greenbrier
BetLucky Sportsbook is still the only WV online sports betting app. It services the Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island casinos and its revenue figures are included in its respective casinos’ totals for the week.
WV Sports Betting Summary
Here are the latest figures for the industry since WV sports betting revenue tracking began in August 2018:
- Handle: $81,669,010.22
- Revenue: $7,721,451.86
- Taxes: $772,145.28
The week of Feb. 23 saw a nice bounce back for sports betting in WV. The overall handle bumped up to $4,132,014.44, a five percent increase from last week.
Revenue also saw a strong positive push. After being in the negative for the previous week, the sportsbooks were able to manage a profit of $221,453.64. This is a 446 percent increase from the prior week. Of course, weekly numbers are highly volatile, but it still represents a nice recovery.
WV sports betting revenue for the week ending Feb. 23, 2016
| Casino | Handle | Mobile Sports Betting Revenue | Retail Sports Betting Revenue | Total Revenue | Taxes (10%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino | $1,545,727.15 | N/A | $92,098.25 | $92,098.25 | $9,209.83 |
| Mountaineer Casino | $764,269.10 | N/A | $37,805.85 | $37,805.85 | $3,780.59 |
| The Greenbrier | $1130,506.00 | N/A | $-21,899.50 | $-21,899.50 | $-2,189.95 |
| Mardi Gras Casino | $1,079,780.84 | $46,595.92 | $31,859.47 | $78,455.39 | $7,845.54 |
| Wheeling Island Hotel | $611,731.35 | $28,409.25 | $6,584.4 | $34,993.65 | $3,499.36 |
| Total | $4,132,014.44 | $75,005.17 | $146,448.47 | $221,453.64 | $22,145.37 |
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Handle
Hollywood Casino led the sportsbooks in handle again, taking in more than $1.5 million in wagers. Although this figure is still impressive, it’s the fourth consecutive week that its handle has decreased.
Mardi Gras Casino also had a notable week, finishing in second and topping the $1 million mark for the second time since the sportsbook debuted. It seems to be narrowing the gap between itself and Hollywood Casino.
The other sportsbook associated with the BetLucky mobile app, Wheeling Island, stayed consistent with its total handle. It accepted around $1,600 more this week compared to last.
The biggest jump, though, came from the Mountaineer Casino. After having its worst showing in terms of handle last week, it moved up to more than $750,000. The sportsbook’s handle grew 110 percent from week to week.
Here’s how the WV sportsbooks rank for the weekly handle:
- Hollywood Casino ($1,545,727.15)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($1,079,780.84)
- Mountaineer Casino ($764,269.10)
- Wheeling Island ($611,731.35)
- The Greenbrier ($130,506.00)
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Revenue
WV sportsbooks reported a quality week in revenue. Following a tough stretch of paying out Super Bowl futures then another negative last week, they were able to take in a profit for just the second time in five weeks.
The best part about that is the fact that just one sportsbook didn’t carry the load, but the majority of them finished in the plus. The Greenbrier was the only one in the negative at just over -$20,000.
Hollywood Casino leads the bunch thanks to its consistently strong handle. The sportsbook made nearly $100,000, the first time it’s been positive in three weeks.
Mardi Gras Casino was also strong in regards to revenue. It made almost $80,000, the fourth-highest total the sportsbook has registered since it started accepting sports bets.
Similar to handle, the Mountaineer Casino did well with revenue, too. The book took in almost $40,000, its first plus in three weeks.
Here’s how the WV sportsbooks rank for weekly revenue:
- Hollywood Casino ($92,098.25)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($78,455.39)
- Mountaineer Casino ($37,805.85)
- Wheeling Island ($34,993.65)
- The Greenbrier ($-21,899.50)
March Madness and spring training betting
Another week down means another week closer to NCAA March Madness. As the calendar is now officially in March, teams and bettors alike must start getting serious about winning.
Most major conference teams finish out their regular seasons this weekend. Some smaller conferences have already begun their postseason conference tournaments to determine who will get an automatic bid into the Big Dance.
The BetLucky mobile app is still the easiest place to bet on college basketball futures on WV.
As of March 5, the BetLucky Sportsbook has the following odds to win the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship:
- Field +250
- Duke +300
- Virginia +600
- Gonzaga +700
- Texas Tech +700
- Kentucky +800
- Michigan +1200
- Tennessee +1200
- Michigan State +1200
- North Carolina +1200
Additionally, for the first time and against MLB‘s wishes, BetLucky is offering action on spring training games. The online sportsbook adds the lines daily for that day’s games. Of course, you have to wait until the app opens. The mobile app operating hours are:
- Monday: 11 a.m. – 3 a.m. ET
- Tuesday: 12 p.m. –3 a.m. ET
- Wednesday: 12 p.m. –3 a.m. ET
- Thursday: 12 p.m. –3 a.m. ET
- Friday: 11 a.m. –3 a.m. ET
- Saturday: 10 a.m. –3 a.m. ET
- Sunday: 9 a.m. –3 a.m. ET
