WVU College Basketball Betting Drives Another Big Week At WV Sportsbooks

Written By Chris Imperiale on January 24, 2020Last Updated on March 21, 2025
Another big wv sports betting revenue week

Sports betting in the Mountain State remained hectic for yet another week. After coming close to reaching $9 million in wagers last week, West Virginia sportsbooks amassed a total of over $8.6 million in bets this week.

Sportsbooks have achieved a remarkable feat by surpassing $8 million in handle for the second consecutive week, something they couldn’t accomplish during the entire month of December.

For the past week, it was the remarkable handle driven by online sports betting apps. Online sportsbooks, for the first time in two months, received a larger number of wagers compared to physical retail locations.

The surge in betting activity can be largely attributed to the popularity of college basketball betting, driven by the remarkable performance of the WVU Mountaineers. With an impressive 15-3 record this season, WVU has secured the 14th position in the national rankings.

Despite the long stretch of basketball games ahead, WVU Hoops appears ready to make a significant advancement in March Madness. Currently occupying the third spot in the Big 12 Conference standings, they are only trailing behind the powerhouse teams of No. 3 Kansas and No. 1 overall Baylor.

The report for this week comprises data from Jan. 5-11, gathered from the following sportsbooks in West Virginia:

  • The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino and the WV Sportsbook by DraftKings.
  • FanDuel Sportsbook partners with The Greenbrier.
  • Mountaineer Sportsbook
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WV sports betting revenue highlights

Here are the main points to take away from the Jan. 11 figures:

  • Top handle is reclaimed by online sportsbooks.
  • Retail earns massive revenue
  • A substantial portion of the revenue generated by the NFL comes from its futures.

Online sportsbooks have finally surpassed retail locations in accepting wagers after a period of eight weeks.

In the majority of states where sports gambling is legal, this is the usual trend. However, for some unknown reason, the WV sports betting market continues to observe a higher influx of money through its physical sportsbooks as opposed to online betting.

During the week of Jan. 11, there was a notable shift as mobile betting apps generated approximately $1 million more in revenue compared to physical retail stores. Together, DraftKings and FanDuel achieved a total handle of $4,785,896.10, whereas retail books contributed $3,826,715.94 to the overall amount.

The significant week, in general, can be credited to both WVU basketball and NFL playoffs betting.

WVU emerged victorious on the road, securing a 14-point triumph over Oklahoma State, and continued their winning streak by clinching a 12-point victory against Texas Tech in Morgantown. These conference rivals garnered substantial interest from both WVU and bettors, with the Mountaineers effortlessly covering the spread in both encounters.

In addition to the Wild Card game, this report encompasses the opening day of the Divisional Round, covering two days of NFL playoffs.

Despite the high handle once again, the revenue figures improved even further this week. Collectively, sportsbooks managed to generate profits amounting to $1,324,673.11.

Despite having a significantly lower handle, retail sportsbooks were able to earn over $1 million of the total revenue breakdown, making it the most thrilling aspect. On the other hand, online sportsbooks generated approximately $315,000.

Retail sportsbooks have generated revenue exceeding $1 million for the first time in a span of 18 weeks.

The possible explanation for the significantly imbalanced revenue this week could be attributed to NFL futures.

Because futures bets such as MVP or Super Bowl winner encompass the entire season, many bettors do not require the convenience of an online sportsbook. They have the freedom to place their bets at any time in the months leading up to the start of the year.

Additionally, it is worth mentioning that online sportsbooks were not available in West Virginia until late August. This means that many bettors may have already placed their season-long futures bets at one of the three physical bookmakers.

Retail locations experienced a significant increase in profits due to sportsbooks finalizing their NFL futures just one week after the regular season.

WV Sports Betting Summary

Since August 2018, the WV Lottery Commission has released the most recent statistics for WV sports betting revenue tracking.

  • Handle: $289,972,647.18
  • Revenue: $27,917,287.93
  • Taxes: $2,791,728.79

Despite a decline in sports betting figures compared to the previous week, sportsbooks had a respectable week. The overall handle decreased by 3% but still amounted to a total of $8,612,612.04.

However, there was a significant increase in revenue this week. Sportsbooks witnessed a substantial surge in earnings, totaling $1,324,673.11, marking a remarkable 47% growth compared to the previous week.

A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Handle

Hollywood Casino achieved a remarkable feat by surpassing its previous records, emerging as the leader in betting handle. It witnessed its most successful week ever, with the sportsbook nearly reaching the remarkable $6 million milestone. For the second week in a row, the casino accepted an impressive sum of over $5.7 million in bets.

DraftKings, Hollywood’s online platform, experienced a remarkable week as it reached a significant milestone. The online sportsbook achieved a handle of $3 million for the first time, surpassing last week’s bets by approximately $600,000.

In addition, during the first week, DraftKings’ handle surpassed that of Hollywood’s retail sportsbook.

Despite a decrease in comparison to the previous week, The Greenbrier secured the second position with a total of over $1.8 million in wagers. Remarkably, this marks the third consecutive week where they have achieved a handle of at least $1.8 million.

As usual, the online app of The Greenbrier, in partnership with FanDuel, dominated the betting scene. Its impressive handle of $1,749,269.41 accounted for more than 94% of the overall wagers.

In its sportsbook’s worst performance in three weeks, the Mountaineer secured the third place with just over $840,000.

Despite not having an online betting app, Mountaineer has displayed consistent performance by accepting a minimum of $800,000 each week since Sept. 7. With its robust retail presence, Mountaineer is poised to become a dominant player in the state as soon as it introduces a mobile platform.

These are the rankings of the WV sportsbooks based on their weekly handle.

    The respective amounts of money at Hollywood Casino, The Greenbrier, Mountaineer Casino, Mardi Gras Casino, and Wheeling Island are $5,913,939.58, $1,857,490.41, $841,182.05, $0, and $0.

WV sports betting handle for the week of Jan. 11

A Closer Look At WV Sports Betting Revenue

Hollywood Casino emerged as the revenue leader, generating over $950,000 for the week. This marks its peak revenue in the past 11 weeks, second only to the $1.1 million earned by its sportsbook.

During this week, Hollywood’s retail sportsbook generated a substantial amount of revenue, surpassing the wagers received by Hollywood’s DraftKings app. The contribution of NFL futures to the over $790,000 made by Hollywood’s retail establishment appears significant.

DraftKings’ weekly revenue plummeted to approximately $160,000, marking its poorest performance in the past three weeks.

The Greenbrier earned approximately $200,000 in profits, ranking as a runner-up. The FanDuel Sportsbook contributed over $155,000 to this total, while the retail sector generated $50,000.

After facing financial difficulties a week ago, the mountaineer has made an impressive recovery. Its sportsbook generated a revenue of over $165,000 during the week of January 11. This marks the third occurrence in the past four weeks where it has generated revenue exceeding $100,000.

Although Wheeling Island remains closed, it has managed to pay out $42 in settled bets.

The following list represents the ranking of WV sportsbooks based on their weekly revenue:

  1. Hollywood Casino ($951,617.19)
  2. The Greenbrier ($206,807.57)
  3. Mountaineer Casino ($166,290.35)
  4. Mardi Gras Casino ($0)
  5. Wheeling Island (-$42.00)

WV sports betting revenue for the week of Jan. 11

On the board for WV Sportsbooks

WV Basketball

In Morgantown, with a crowd of over 12,000 fans, the Mountaineers sought redemption for their third defeat of the season by unleashing their frustrations on the Texas Longhorns. WVU dominated the game, securing a resounding 97-59 victory.

In the lopsided victory, a total of twelve Mountaineers contributed points, among them was Spencer Macke, a freshman walk-on. With just 23 seconds left on the clock, he successfully sank his first ever shot in college, a remarkable three-pointer.

On Saturday, WVU aims to secure its 16th victory of the year as they face Missouri at home. With a record of 1-4 in the SEC Conference, the Tigers are expected to be significant underdogs against the Mountaineers.

The Big 12/SEC Challenge, which began in 2013, is the reason for this pause in conference play.

Marshall basketball’s past two games have been determined by a total of three points. The team suffered a two-point loss to Charlotte on their home court, however, they managed to recover and secure a narrow one-point victory against ODU.

On Wednesday night, Marshall aims to secure their fourth conference victory of the year. They will face Western Kentucky, who currently holds a record of 12-6, at Marshall’s home ground in Huntington. Following this game, Marshall will then travel to Western Kentucky on Saturday to complete the home-and-home series.

According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the matchup is expected to be closely contested, with Marshall having approximately a 53% chance of winning on their home turf.

Super Bowl LIV

Placing bets on the Super Bowl requires skill and expertise. Now, sports enthusiasts can delve into every aspect of Super Bowl LIV. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers emerged triumphant in their respective home games and secured their conference championships on Sunday.

Now, they will come together on the grand stage of this year’s Super Bowl, which happens to be one of the most highly bet upon sporting events annually.

Once again, Kansas City relied on the exceptional skills of their star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, to secure a spot in the highly anticipated big game. This weekend, Mahomes displayed his brilliance yet again, accumulating a remarkable 294 passing yards, an additional 53 rushing yards, and an outstanding total of four touchdowns.

After a 50-year wait, the Chiefs secured their first Super Bowl appearance by defeating the Titans with a score of 35-24.

The 49ers swiftly surged past the Packers in the NFC and maintained their lead till the end. With a commanding 27-0 advantage at halftime, they easily sailed through the second half, securing a comfortable 17-point victory.

Raheem Mostert dominated the offense, stealing the spotlight with an impressive 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

According to both DraftKings and FanDuel, the big game odds for the Super Bowl, which is held in Miami, Florida, are now available. The game is scheduled to take place on Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m.

Current Super Bowl betting odds