In December, revenue for video lottery and table games at West Virginia casinos experienced a noticeable growth.
December has witnessed a positive change for the first time in nearly seven years, primarily attributed to the presence of five sportsbooks in WV, which has attracted a greater influx of visitors to the casinos.
In the month, video lottery generated a total revenue of $43.42 million, marking a 10 percent increase from November and an 8 percent increase from December 2017.
Revenue from table games increased by 13 percent in the month, reaching $3.25 million. This growth was observed when comparing it to both November and December of 2017.
Thank you, WV sportsbooks
The primary factor contributing to the increase in revenue for all West Virginia casinos is believed to be the implementation of legal sports betting, as there have been minimal changes in other aspects.
John Myers, the Lottery Director, made a statement to the Charleston Gazette-Mail regarding the surge in casino revenue.
“Undoubtedly, sports betting contributes to the increase in foot traffic and customer engagement.”
At present, the state of West Virginia boasts five functioning land-based sportsbooks, with one situated at each of its casinos.
- Hollywood Casino in Charles Town Races
- Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack, and Resort
- The Greenbrier is home to The Casino Club.
- Mardi Gras Casino and Resort is being rewritten as Mardi Gras Casino and Resort.
- Wheeling Island Hotel
Despite some locations still being relatively new, the positive impacts of sports betting are already being felt in the revenue numbers.
WV Sports betting profits
In December, the revenue from sports betting in West Virginia performed admirably.
Overall, the 10 percent tax in WV generated over $230,000 for the state, marking a 76 percent growth compared to the previous month.
With an impressive $1.6 million in sportsbook revenue, Hollywood Casino emerged as the frontrunner in the casino industry. Mountaineer Casino’s William Hill Sportsbook secured the second position, surpassing $440,000 in revenue.
In just a few days, the FanDuel Sportsbook at the Greenbrier, a privately-owned casino, generated slightly more than $150,000 in revenue. Similarly, the recently opened Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras locations accumulated $99,845 and $45,273 respectively during the same period.
In addition, Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island are the sole providers of a mobile sports betting app in the West Virginia market. The revenue generated by Betlucky Sportsbook amounted to $21,161 for Wheeling Island and a meager $1,341 for Mardi Gras.
In the most recent weekly revenue report, it was observed that mobile betting revenue exceeded retail revenue for both Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras casinos, marking the first instance of such an occurrence.
Given the recent launch, it is challenging to derive any lasting conclusions from these numbers.
The casino management confirmed that the quantity of new users on the Betlucky mobile app aligns with their expectations.
While BetLucky primarily functions as a mobile app, it can also contribute to increasing revenue for casinos as successful sports bettors are encouraged to visit the retail sportsbook to claim their winnings.
At present, lottery officials are assisting the remaining WV casinos in getting ready for their upcoming mobile app releases.
There will be an influx of mobile apps in the near future, such as DraftKings WV Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook, as there are 13 mobile sports betting licenses up for grabs. Without a doubt, the future looks promising for WV casinos and sportsbooks.
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