West Virginia sports betting suffered a down week after posting very impressive figures in the previous report. March Madness was in its second weekend and brought in plenty of betting action, but not nearly the showing from the opening few days.
Both the overall handle and revenue dropped at all three active WV sportsbooks for the week ending March 30.
Total handle fell almost $1 million, topping just over $3.4 million. Revenue also saw a sizable decrease. It was cut in more than half with sportsbooks generating only slightly over $350,000 this week.
Even so, since WV took its first sports bet in Aug. 2018, the state’s handle is closing in on $100 million. It is worth noting that over $10 million of the $99,317,644 in wagers came without a sports betting app.
Unfortunately for residents of the Mountain State, there are only three land-based sportsbooks available and still no mobile betting at this time. Locals are upset about the lack of a mobile platform, and it’s not yet clear when a new one will emerge.
This week’s report includes activity from March 24-30 for all five WV sportsbooks:
- Hollywood Casino Sportsbook
- Mountaineer Sportsbook
- The FanDuel Sportsbook at The Greenbrier
- Mardi Gras Sportsbook
- Wheeling Island Sportsbook
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: $99,317,644.38
- Revenue: $10,062,850.58
- Taxes: $1,006,285.15
The week of March 30 was much slower than the prior week overall. The total handle only amassed $3,443,807.18. This is a 22% decrease from a week ago.
Revenue also didn’t fare as well. It reduced to $350,614.63. This figure is a 55% decrease from the previous week.
WV sports betting revenue for the week ending March 30, 2019
| Casino | Handle | Mobile Sports Betting Revenue | Retail Sports Betting Revenue | Total Revenue | Taxes (10%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino | $2,384,704.83 | N/A | $324,388.48 | $324,388.48 | $32,438.85 |
| Mountaineer Casino | $669,984.10 | N/A | $-3,365.55 | $-3,365.55 | $-336.56 |
| The Greenbrier | $389,118.25 | N/A | $36,248.25 | $36,248.25 | $3,624.83 |
| Mardi Gras Casino | N/A | N/A | $-6,183.80 | $-6,183.80 | $-618.38 |
| Wheeling Island Hotel | N/A | N/A | $-472.75 | $-472.75 | $-47.28 |
| Total | $3,443,807.18 | N/A | $350,614.63 | $350,614.63 | $35,061.46 |
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Handle
The status of the WV sports betting market would be very different if not for the sportsbook at the Hollywood Casino. The state’s top book led the way again in what was a down week for just about everyone.
Despite a big drop off from last week, Hollywood still had the largest handle by far. It pulled in nearly $2.4 million in bets a week after hitting the $3 million mark. This week’s figure is its second highest handle in the last three months.
The Mountaineer Casino didn’t do quite as well. Its handle fell below $700,000 after being well over $1 million last week.
On a positive note, the FanDuel Sportsbook at The Greenbrier built off its impressive showing last week and actually recorded its highest handle ever. The almost $400,000 wagered is 8% higher than its former best.
Even though these sportsbooks should be seeing added betting volume due to the lack of an online option, it appears the NCAA tournament played a major factor in the week’s reduction. With the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight taking to the court, there were fewer games played.
The end of the NBA season is often difficult to wager, too. Many teams have already locked up their postseason positioning so a lot of the games don’t tend to matter as much. This might scare some bettors off their normal betting routine.
Here’s how the WV sportsbooks rank for the weekly handle:
- Hollywood Casino ($2,384,704.83)
- Mountaineer Casino ($669,984.10)
- The Greenbrier ($389,118.25)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($0)
- Wheeling Island ($0)
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Revenue
As you can probably guess, Hollywood led in weekly revenue as well. The sportsbook made more than $300,000 for the third time in the last five weeks.
Hollywood’s revenue figure represents 93% of the overall gain from the state in this report.
The only other sportsbook to turn a profit was The Greenbrier.
Despite growing its handle to a new high, Greenbrier’s revenue was almost cut in half compared to last week. Even so, the sportsbook has now made money the previous three weeks and the slightly more than $36,000 is its second-best performance in 11 weeks.
Each of the other three sportsbooks reported negative revenue. Wheeling Island and the Mardi Gras Casino are still paying out settled bets although they aren’t accepting any new ones.
While numbers might be down, it appears that both Hollywood and The Greenbrier are seeing a slight boost with the other sportsbooks inactive. They’ve both posted two quality weeks in a row.
Here’s how the WV sportsbooks rank for weekly revenue:
- Hollywood Casino ($324,388.48)
- The Greenbrier ($36,248.25)
- Wheeling Island ($-472.75)
- Mountaineer Casino ($-3,365.55)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($-6,183.80)
On the board for WV Sportsbooks
The Masters
Golf’s biggest spectacle tees off on Thursday with the Masters. Even though there have been several other tournaments so far this PGA Tour season, the Masters typically marks the true start of the golf year.
As always, the field is filled with everyone’s favorite golfers. Among all the big names participating, Tiger Woods still takes the popularity cake.
Entering the first round, online sportsbooks in New Jersey list the following as favorites to wear the green jacket:
- Rory McIlroy
- Dustin Johnson
- Justin Rose
- Jon Rahm
- Tiger Woods
- Rickie Fowler
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs
Before the golf starts, the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Wednesday. Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off one of the best seasons in the league’s history and are clear favorites to hoist this year’s cup.
If one thing is certain, however, the NHL playoffs rarely go as planned.
NJ online sportsbooks show the following as favorites to win Lord Stanley:
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Calgary Flames
- Boston Bruins
- Nashville Predators
- San Jose Sharks
- Louis Blues
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Washington Capitals
