The West Virginia sports betting market experienced its most active week to date, with a record-breaking acceptance of nearly $9.5 million in wagers. Surpassing previous records by over $1 million, the week of Nov. 30 marked the Mountain State’s strongest performance in terms of overall betting handle.
The retail sportsbooks and online sports betting apps in WV both delivered their strongest performances to date. The retail books accumulated over $4.9 million in bets, while the online sportsbooks collectively reached nearly $4.6 million in handle.
The WV Lottery finally released the revenue report after a delay, providing the betting figures for both November 30 and the week of December 7.
While sportsbooks performed adequately, the betting handle decreased significantly on December 7th. Online sportsbooks received a sum of over $3.7 million, while retail establishments accumulated nearly $4.2 million, resulting in a combined total of approximately $7.9 million.
In terms of revenue, sportsbooks were profitable for both weeks. They earned more than $500,000 during the week of Nov. 30 and approximately $475,000 during the subsequent week.
In the first week of December, retail locations saw a higher amount of earnings, although online apps managed to secure a narrow victory margin.
The report for this week covers the activity from Nov. 24-30 and Dec. 1-7 at the following sportsbooks in WV:
- The Sportsbooks available in West Virginia are Hollywood Casino Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook WV.
- The Greenbrier and FanDuel Sportsbook have formed a partnership.
- Mountaineer Sportsbook
WV sports betting revenue highlights
Here are the main points to note from the figures released on November 30th and December 7th:
- A new record has been set by online sportsbooks in WV.
- Handle was built with the help of WVU sports.
- Retail’s handle wins again
The betting handle in WV seemed to have hit a plateau as it failed to surpass $8 million for the second consecutive week. However, WV Sportsbooks made a significant response by accepting over $2 million more in bets compared to the previous week.
The total handle of $9.5 million exceeded the state’s previous best week by a margin of $1.1 million. This new record surpassed the previous week of Nov. 9, where the total handle was $8.3 million.
Sports bettors in WV had an incredibly busy week in the last week of November. The handle reached an impressive milestone of $9 million for the first time, making it an ideal week for WVU sports betting enthusiasts.
The final game of the season for WVU football took place in Fort Worth against the TCU Horned Frogs. Since the team was not eligible for a bowl, bettors recognized this as their final chance to place bets on WVU this season.
The Mountaineers not only covered the 13.5-point spread, but also secured a victory, benefiting all of their supporters. They triumphed over TCU with a score of 20-17, concluding the 2019 season with an overall record of 5-7.
The massive handle also involved the contribution of WVU basketball. The two games they played in the Cancun Classic received significant attention from sportsbooks. The Mountaineers emerged victorious, defeating Northern Iowa and Wichita State to secure the championship.
Although online sports betting apps in WV experienced two successful weeks in terms of handle, they fell short when compared to the retail locations. The land-based sportsbooks emerged as the narrow winners during both weeks, accumulating approximately $770,000 more in total bets.
For the past three weeks, online sportsbooks have failed to surpass retail’s handle, despite accepting more bets for two consecutive weeks.
WV Sports Betting Summary
Since August 2018, the WV Lottery Commission has recently published the most up-to-date data on WV sports betting revenue.
- Handle: $250,024,958.63
- Revenue: $23,839,782.28
- Taxes: $2,383,978.23
Sports betting in WV experienced two hectic weeks, with the handle soaring to $9,478,177.96, marking a noteworthy 28% surge compared to the previous week. However, the subsequent week witnessed a decline in activity as the action settled down. In total, the overall handle reached $7,914,297.96, reflecting a notable 17% decrease.
The revenue for the two consecutive weeks showed a more balanced trend. Following a sluggish performance on November 23, there was a significant surge of 657% in revenue, with sportsbooks earning $518,596.22. However, in the week of December 7, the revenue experienced a slight decline of 9%, as sportsbooks generated $472,313.07.
WV sports betting revenue for the week ending Nov. 30, 2019
WV sports betting revenue for the week ending Dec. 7, 2019
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Handle
The rankings will be determined by the collective total handle from the two weeks of betting data included in this week’s report.
In a remarkable two-week period, Hollywood Casino set the pace by accepting an astonishing $11 million in wagers, surpassing its competitors in West Virginia by more than double.
During the week of November 30th, the sportsbook at Hollywood achieved a new record with an impressive handle of nearly $5.9 million. This outstanding performance surpassed their previous best week by approximately $500,000.
Both Hollywood’s retail book and its DraftKings mobile app achieved remarkable milestones, with retail accepting nearly $3.4 million and the online sportsbook raking in approximately $2.5 million in revenue.
The subsequent week witnessed a slight decrease in Hollywood’s handle. Nevertheless, it still managed to exceed $5 million in bets for four out of the past five weeks.
Despite falling short of surpassing Hollywood, The Greenbrier still had a successful two weeks for its sportsbook, earning over $4.3 million and securing the second position.
During the week of Nov. 30, it received wagers amounting to more than $2.4 million, nearly equaling its record-breaking week from Nov. 9.
The online platform of The Greenbrier, known as FanDuel, achieved impressive performance with a handle exceeding $2 million. On the other hand, the retail sportsbook of The Greenbrier achieved its highest mark at approximately $385,000.
In the second week, FanDuel achieved a commendable performance, garnering approximately $1.7 million in revenue, while the retail sector achieved a respectable $215,000.
Mountaineer Casino claimed the third position, accumulating a remarkable total of over $2 million. In addition, its sportsbook achieved a new milestone by surpassing $1.1 million in the first week. Subsequently, it maintained its success by recording approximately $885,000 for the week of December 7th.
These are the rankings of WV sportsbooks based on their weekly handle.
- The amounts of money earned by various casinos are as follows: Hollywood Casino earned $11,007,605.30, The Greenbrier earned $4,374,217.61, Mountaineer Casino earned $2,010,653.04, while Mardi Gras Casino and Wheeling Island earned no money.
A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Revenue
Sportsbooks did not perform as well as expected in terms of revenue generation over the past two weeks. Considering the amount of bets placed, the revenue figures could have been significantly more impressive.
Hollywood once again outperformed all others, generating over $810,000 in revenue. In the initial week, its sportsbook amassed approximately $480,000, followed by $330,000 in the second week.
Despite the retail sportsbook outperforming the DraftKings online app in both weeks, both platforms earned six-figure profits consistently.
The Greenbrier, despite being the runner-up with approximately $130,000, experienced a surprising setback in its sportsbook earnings. Despite handling over $2.4 million, the sportsbook only managed to generate $28,000 in revenue during that week. This marked the worst performance for The Greenbrier in a month.
The following week saw the book’s revival, generating a staggering revenue of over $100,000. The substantial portion of The Greenbrier’s earnings is attributed to its FanDuel Sportsbook, with the online platform alone raking in a remarkable $125,000 in the past two weeks.
Regrettably, The Greenbrier’s retail location experienced two disappointing performances. It suffered a loss of approximately $17,000 on November 30th, but managed to make just under $25,000 the following week.
Mountaineer secured a third-place position, generating approximately $45,000 in revenue. However, its sportsbook faced challenges during the last week of November, only managing to earn $10,000 despite handling over $1.1 million.
During the week of December 7, Mountaineer recorded an impressive rebound of nearly $37,000. However, its position in the state’s active sportsbooks remains disadvantaged due to its absence of a mobile betting app.
Although both Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island remain closed, Wheeling Island did manage to distribute approximately $20 in wager payouts.
These are the rankings of WV sportsbooks based on their weekly revenue.
- Hollywood Casino ($810,713.39)
- The Greenbrier ($133,510.36)
- Mountaineer Casino ($46,702.69)
- Mardi Gras Casino ($0)
- Wheeling Island (-$17.15)
On the board for WV Sportsbooks
WVU Basketball
The regular season of college football has come to an end, but the 2019 bowls are set to begin this week. Marshall football is currently getting ready for their upcoming game in the Gasparilla Bowl, scheduled for next Monday.
In their upcoming game against the University of Central Florida, the Thundering Herd find themselves in the position of underdogs. According to WV sportsbooks, they are expected to receive approximately 17 points.
After their close loss to St. John’s, the WVU Mountaineers have made a remarkable recovery on the basketball court. With a current record of 9-1, they are now tied for first place in the Big 12 Conference.
WVU’s strong performance at the beginning of the year earned them a spot in this week’s AP Top 25 rankings as the 25th best team in the country. Before diving into their demanding schedule, the Mountaineers have one more warm-up game.
Before their schedule becomes more challenging, the Mountaineers will aim to maintain their impressive performance at the beginning of the season. On Saturday, December 21, the boys from Morgantown will be heading to Youngstown State.
It is highly probable that WVU will enjoy yet another straightforward game, as they are expected to be significant favorites against the Penguins. Despite Youngstown State having a season record of 6-5, they have managed to maintain an unbeaten streak at home.
Afterwards, the basketball team will enjoy a complete week’s break for the holidays, and then resume playing.
NFL Week 16
With the NFL betting season nearing its end, there is still much to be determined in the playoff race. Despite a challenging year for many local teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain in contention for an AFC Wild Card spot.
According to two online sportsbooks, DraftKings and FanDuel, below are the odds for Week 16.
| Spread | Total | Moneyline | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLE vs BAL | |||
| DraftKings Sportsbook | CLE +10 | 48 | CLE +380 BAL -455 |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | CLE +10 | 48 | CLE -370 BAL -470 |
| PIT vs NYJ | |||
| DraftKings | PIT -3 | 38.5 | PIT -148 NYJ +130 |
| FanDuel | PIT -3 | 38.5 | PIT -156 NYJ +136 |
| WAS vs NYG | |||
| DraftKings | WAS -2 | 42.5 | WAS -125 NYG +110 |
| FanDuel | WAS -2.5 | 42.5 | WAS +-132 NYG +116 |
| Odds last updated on Dec. 18. |
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