Despite the absence of any live sports betting apps, the sports betting handle in West Virginia experienced its first increase in three weeks.
The Masters brought a modest increase of approximately $300,000 to the Mountain State sports betting market, keeping it alive. One dominant player, the Hollywood Casino Sportsbook, contributed to 98% of the revenue for this week and continues to maintain its stronghold in the market.
Despite the increase in bets, the total handle of just over $2.6 million for the week ending April 13 remains one of the lowest figures recorded in the past six months in WV.
The lack of online options for bettors in West Virginia is evident in their reluctance to frequently visit physical sportsbooks. Without the convenience of online access, it is unlikely that the betting handle will continue to increase.
The Masters, being one of the most bet on golf events annually, could be a plausible reason for the slight increase observed during that week. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that the tournament concluded the day following the release of this report’s data.
The victory of Tiger Woods may lead to a significant decrease in book profits for the upcoming week due to his immense popularity as a favored pick.
Sportsbooks continue to impress with their consistent profit generation, marking the eighth consecutive week of positive revenue.
The report for this week encompasses the period of April 7-13 and covers the activity of all five WV sportsbooks.
- Hollywood Casino Sportsbook
- Mountaineer Sportsbook
- The Greenbrier is home to the renowned FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Mardi Gras Casino Sportsbook
- Wheeling Island Sportsbook
WV sports betting summary
Since August 2018, the WV Lottery Commission has recently published the most up-to-date statistics regarding WV sports betting revenue tracking.
- Handle: $104,386,584.09
- Revenue: $10,440,192.38
- Taxes: $1,044,019.32
Although it showed improvement, the week of April 13 remained sluggish for sports betting in WV, with a total handle of $2,683,560.50, marking a 13% increase compared to the previous week.
Despite remaining profitable, there was a slight decline in revenue. The sportsbooks generated $183,612.65, indicating a 5% decrease compared to the previous week.
WV sports betting revenue for the week ending April 13, 2019
A closer look at WV sports betting handle
After a disappointing performance in the previous report, the Hollywood Casino experienced a notable recovery this week. It reclaimed its position as the top performer, surpassing the $2 million milestone which it had failed to achieve last week.
While it is intriguing to compare Hollywood’s performance with its figures from the previous week, there is simply no match for its sportsbook and production levels compared to any other in the state.
The dominance of Hollywood Casino in the market has significantly increased due to the closure of various other sportsbooks in WV. In fact, Hollywood Casino alone contributed to 80% of the state’s total handle.
For the third week in a row, the Mountaineer Casino experienced a decrease in its handle, with less than $500,000 in wagers. This marked the lowest performance in terms of handle for Mountaineer in the past two months.
Despite experiencing an increase in handle compared to the previous week, The Greenbrier fell short of reaching six figures.
Moving forward, sportsbooks are facing challenges in achieving an overall handle growth. While the Masters tournament contributed to increased activity, it appears that the NBA and NHL playoffs are not significantly impacting the betting volume.
As the finals draw nearer in both postseasons, it is likely that more bettors will become interested.
It is undeniable that every sportsbook mentioned would experience a significant increase in their wagers if they offered an online platform. Unless there are exceptional events that lead to a surge in betting activity, it appears that the betting numbers in WV will continue to decline.
These are the rankings of the WV sportsbooks based on their weekly handle.
- Hollywood Casino has a total amount of $2,138,282.45, Mountaineer Casino has $446,671.30, The Greenbrier has $98,606.75, while both Mardi Gras Casino and Wheeling Island have no funds available.
A closer look at WV sports betting revenue
In addition to its success in other areas, Hollywood Casino also emerged as the leader in terms of revenue. This week, it surpassed the $200,000 mark, exceeding the previous week’s earnings by approximately $50,000. Impressively, Hollywood has now achieved eight consecutive weeks of positive revenue.
After experiencing a loss of approximately $15,000 last week, The Greenbrier bounced back as the sole sportsbook to end up with a profit. It successfully generated over $25,000.
After a promising performance in the previous revenue report, Mountaineer Casino has once again experienced a decline, with negative revenue recorded in four out of the last six weeks.
Despite not accepting any new bets, Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras Casino are still honoring settled wagers, resulting in a combined loss of approximately $45,000.
Due to the absence of an online option, these sportsbooks will face challenges in generating substantial revenue, akin to handle, due to the inconvenience it creates.
Hollywood Casino seems to be benefiting from its location, but the sportsbook is not meeting expectations due to the lack of a mobile presence.
The following is the ranking of WV sportsbooks based on their weekly revenue.
- Hollywood Casino ($205,589.60)
- The Greenbrier ($27,655.00)
- Mountaineer Casino ($-3,149.35)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($-15,903.20)
- Wheeling Island ($-30,579.40)
On the board for WV sportsbooks
NHL playoffs
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s unprecedented elimination from the 2019 postseason suggests that this year’s Stanley Cup is now widely considered to be available for any team to win.
As the first round draws to a close, DraftKings Sportsbook in New Jersey has identified the top contenders to emerge victorious in the ultimate outcome.
- Washington Capitals +600
- Columbus Blue Jackets +650
- Louis Blues +700
- Boston Bruins +750
- New York Islanders +750
- San Jose Sharks +800
NBA playoffs
With the first round of the NBA playoffs coming to a close, there have been no significant upsets, resulting in minimal changes.
Draftkings has listed the odds to win the NBA Finals as follows:
- Golden State Warriors -210
- Milwaukee Bucks +450
- Houston Rockets +600
- Toronto Raptors +900
- Boston Celtics +1100
- Philadelphia 76ers +1500
UEFA Champions League
Next week marks the commencement of the highly anticipated Champions League semifinals, where four distinguished European clubs will compete to claim the title of the continent’s finest.
The final has the following odds to win presented by DraftKings:
- Barcelona +150
- Liverpool +240
- Tottenham +420
- Ajax +450
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