The initial five days spent on an online casino in West Virginia left quite a remarkable impression.
The grand arrival of DraftKings Casino in WV on July 15 brought forth remarkable returns, deserving a reception fit for royalty, lasting until July 20.
Although the total wagers of nearly $8 million in the first five days are impressive, there is still room for more potential. This is mainly due to the absence of one of the most popular game types, online slots, on the platform.
Eye-popping numbers for the first few days of online casino in WV
This week, John Myers, the Director of the WV Lottery, happily announced the positive news. In the period of July 15 to 20, individuals in WV placed bets totaling $7,979,923 on DraftKings Casino.
During that period, DraftKings paid out $7,819,330 to gamblers, which accounted for nearly 98% of the total bets made. Consequently, only $160,379 remained as taxable revenue. From this amount, the state collected over $24,000.
In order to comprehend the level of success achieved by DraftKings Casino WV, it is important to consider the context. For instance, during the initial six days of online slot play in Pennsylvania, operators were able to generate a daily gross revenue of $1,397,876 through online gaming.
In West Virginia, DraftKings achieved a total of $1,329,987 in daily gross revenue during its initial five days of operation.
Although the initial six days of PA online slots did not coincide with a viral pandemic, which has encouraged gamblers to play from the comfort of their homes, it should be noted that PA has a higher population density compared to WV.
There is no doubt that the launch of DraftKings Casino was impressive. The possibility of more opportunities being available to West Virginia gamblers is just a click away.
A greater volume of games should lead to even more handle
DraftKings can enhance customer engagement in online gaming by providing a variety of games with regular updates. Currently, DraftKings has two potential avenues for diversification in West Virginia.
Initially, DraftKings solely provides table games featuring a solitary variant of poker known as three-card poker on its platform. However, by incorporating the widely favored five-card draw-style games into their app, DraftKings has the potential to attract a substantial influx of new users.
Additionally, although there are currently no available slots in WV, DraftKings’ selection of slot games in other markets is not as extensive as other platforms. While slots are a highly sought-after option, they are also an area that requires improvement in terms of constantly introducing new games to keep up with customer demand.
DraftKings needs to act quickly to capitalize on its current market dominance in West Virginia. Time is crucial for them to secure the largest number of wagers and make the most of being the sole operator in the state. However, other competitors such as BetMGM, FanDuel Casino, and PokerStars could soon catch up if DraftKings does not seize the opportunity.
MGM has an existing partnership with The Greenbrier for sports betting and may consider extending it to include an online casino. Additionally, FanDuel, which operates online sports betting in West Virginia through The Greenbrier’s license, is owned by the same parent company as PokerStars. This connection could potentially provide another avenue for MGM, as West Virginia’s online casino regulations permit master license holders to have up to three online casino skins.
Although DraftKings shows promise in WV, it still has room for improvement to fully tap into its potential. The initial results are encouraging, but with such impressive figures, it won’t be long before other competitors emerge.
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