The week ending June 8 marked a significant upturn for sports betting in West Virginia, with the betting handle nearing $2.3 million. However, WV sportsbooks have been facing challenges in accommodating a large number of wagers for quite some time, and the absence of an online sportsbook in the Mountain State continues to hinder the situation.
Due to the presence of the Wire Act and Apple’s latest app store policy, the WV Lottery has been exercising caution in reintroducing online gambling for sportsbook operators.
Since March, bettors have been deprived of online sports betting, and it remains uncertain when the next online sportsbook will become available. Unless there are significant developments, the initial three online choices in West Virginia will likely be:
It is hoped that online sports betting will make a comeback in the near future. If not, numerous residents of West Virginia might need to travel to Pennsylvania to utilize the first sportbook app in the Keystone State. Recently, SugarHouse Sportsbook, Pennsylvania’s inaugural app for sports betting, has been launched.
However, there is a silver lining in West Virginia. The three operational land-based sportsbooks accumulated a revenue of nearly $250,000 for the week, with all three achieving a positive outcome by the end of the week.
The report for this week encompasses the activity of all five WV sportsbooks from June 2-8.
- Hollywood Casino Sportsbook
- Mountaineer Sportsbook
- The Greenbrier features the FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Mardi Gras Casino Sportsbook
- Wheeling Island Sportsbook
Despite being closed for business, Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island’s sportsbooks are still honoring and paying out on recently settled wagers.
WV Sports Betting Summary
Since August 2018, the WV Lottery Commission has released the most recent data on WV sports betting revenue tracking.
- Handle: $122,652,413.49
- Revenue: $11,800,588.81
- Taxes: $1,180,059.00
Although there was an improvement in the overall betting handle, the week for sports bets in WV was still considered slow. The handle experienced a 13% increase, reaching a total of $2,296,017.40.
Despite a 24% decrease compared to the previous week, the week of June 8 still yielded favorable revenue. Profits amounted to a substantial $245,792.52.
WV sports betting revenue for the week ending June 8, 2019
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Handle
The absence of an online betting app in West Virginia is causing a persistent struggle in the betting handle. Without its availability to residents, the figures for sports wagering are expected to remain underwhelming.
Despite this, Hollywood Casino continues to thrive, reclaiming its position in the forefront and surpassing the $1.6 million milestone after a three-week interval.
By being strategically situated, Hollywood Casino attracts a larger number of wagers from gamblers residing outside the state, surpassing other casinos in this regard. If it manages to secure the first launch of DraftKings Sportsbook, Hollywood will solidify its dominance in West Virginia’s sports betting market.
Despite the news of its upcoming sale, Mountaineer Casino has maintained a relatively steady performance. This week, it received bets totaling $600,000, which is only approximately $7,000 lower compared to the previous week. Over the past two months, Mountaineer’s handle has remained consistently around the same amount.
This week, The Greenbrier’s handle reached a remarkable milestone, surpassing $75,000. This achievement marks its highest handle in the past eight weeks.
These are the rankings of WV sportsbooks based on their weekly handle.
- The Hollywood Casino has a total of $1,610,022.30, while the Mountaineer Casino has $610,680.85. The Greenbrier follows with $75,314.25. On the other hand, both Mardi Gras Casino and Wheeling Island have no reported amounts.
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Revenue
For the second consecutive week, the state’s total revenue exceeded six figures, maintaining a positive overall trend for the fourth time in a row.
In a surprising turn of events, Mountaineer surpassed Hollywood to claim the first position this week. Generating a profit of over $150,000, it achieved its highest earnings since late March.
Since its debut in November 2018, Mountaineer has only achieved consecutive weeks of generating six-figure revenue twice.
The Greenbrier had an impressive performance, generating over $30,000 this week, marking its highest earnings in the past 10 weeks.
Both Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island recently disbursed a few hundred dollars on recently resolved bets.
The weekly revenue rankings for WV sportsbooks are as follows:
- Mountaineer Casino ($152,062.35)
- Hollywood Casino ($61,884.22)
- The Greenbrier ($32,442.75)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($-218.20)
- Wheeling Island ($-378.60)
On the board for WV Sportsbooks
MLB
As the Major League Baseball season reaches its midway mark, many well-known teams have emerged as leaders in their respective divisions. While there is still a significant amount of baseball left to be played, the playoff scenario is gradually forming as we enter the middle of June.
DraftKings Sportsbook in New Jersey has provided the following odds for winning the World Series in October:
- Houston Astros +325
- Los Angeles Dodgers +350
- New York Yankees +650
- Minnesota Twins +1000
- Atlanta Braves +1200
College Football
Even though there are still several months left, it is never too early to consider college football betting in West Virginia. As the college year begins earlier each season, it is worth looking at the teams that DraftKings has identified as the top contenders to win the 2019 title.
- Alabama +200
- Clemson +200
- Ohio State +700
- Georgia +800
- Oklahoma +1200
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