Mobile Sports Betting Gambling Situation. West Virginia sports betting law makes mobile wagering throughout the state legal at the moment. With so many residents allowed to take part in West Virginia mobile sports betting it’s surprising that there aren’t any offerings currently. Gamblers should keep their eyes open for new options as they. West Virginia sports betting is in full bloom. The Mountain State, one of the earliest adopters of wagering on sports after the fall of PASPA, is now home to both online and retail sports betting. If you want to bet on sports in West Virginia, you have several great options nearby, either a short drive away or in the palm of your hand. Beyond Super Bowl LV, the cutting-edge mobile technology of DraftKings Sportsbook will provide sports bettors in the Commonwealth of Virginia the opportunity to bet on more than 250 unique leagues.
BOSTON, Jan. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) today announced the launch of DraftKings Sportsbook in Virginia, marking the 12th state in which the top rated mobile and online sportsbook is available. Customers in Virginia will now be able to place bets on a number of markets across professional and collegiate sports using the DraftKings made-in-America digital sportsbook app.
“Just in time for Super Bowl LV, we are thrilled to bring the DraftKings sports betting experience to Virginia with an abundance of betting options for fans,” said Jason Robins, co-founder and CEO, DraftKings. “With our customer-first approach, we hope to be the sportsbook of choice for Virginians who enjoy having skin in the game.”
Ahead of Super Bowl LV, DraftKings is offering all customers a Double Your Money opportunity on any team to score a touchdown. Beyond Super Bowl LV, the cutting-edge mobile technology of DraftKings Sportsbook will provide sports bettors in the Commonwealth of Virginia the opportunity to bet on more than 250 unique leagues including popular professional sports: baseball, football, golf, hockey, boxing, soccer, tennis, motorsports and basketball. Collegiate sports are also available, with the exception of in-state college teams and college prop bets. DraftKings Sportsbook technology keeps consumer information safe and secure and provides built-in responsible gaming measures like time and deposit limits.
A consumer research study by DraftKings indicated that Virginia sports fans are most likely to bet on the NFL, followed by the NBA and college football. That same study found the Washington Football Team and the Dallas Cowboys are the two most favored NFL teams in Virginia, while the LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards are the most popular NBA teams. Prior to Sunday’s NFL Conference Championship games, DraftKings is offering all customers an additional Double Your Money opportunity by betting on any of the four teams playing to score a touchdown.
DraftKings’ sportsbook and daily fantasy products are available via iOS and Android here.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for 50+ operators in 17 countries. DraftKings’ Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail betting operations in the United States pursuant to regulations in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 8 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories. DraftKings is the official daily fantasy partner of the NFL, MLB, NASCAR and the PGA TOUR as well as an authorized gaming operator of the NBA and MLB and an official betting operator of the PGA TOUR.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements made in this release are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside DraftKings’ control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see DraftKings’ Securities and Exchange Commission filings. DraftKings does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Media Contact:
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West Virginia was one of the first US states to legalize sports betting, proactively passing a bill while the federal ban was still on the books.
With bipartisan support in the legislature, the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act (S 415) became law in March 2018 without a signature from Gov. Jim Justice. The governor, whose family owns one of the state’s gambling establishments, instead allowed the bill to lapse into law — purportedly to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
By the end of the year, both retail and online sports betting were available in the state. The latter suffered a false start at the hands of BetLucky before returning permanently in 2019.
There are currently three sports betting apps available in West Virginia:
William Hill also operates a retail sportsbook in the state, which could eventually spawn another WV sports betting app. The two Delaware North casinos will additionally use the betly brand to rejoin the state’s online market at some point.
WV sports betting apps are typically available for both iOS and Android devices.
The WV sports betting law requires online operators to partner with a land-based casino licensee in order to serve the state. Each of those licensees can deploy as many as three individually branded products (or “skins”) into the market.
Here’s the structure of online sports betting alliances in WV:
Licensee | Skin 1 | Skin 2 | Skin 3 |
---|---|---|---|
The Greenbrier | FanDuel Sportsbook | BetMGM Sports | -- |
Hollywood | DraftKings Sportsbook | -- | -- |
Mardi Gras | -- | -- | -- |
Mountaineer | -- | -- | -- |
Wheeling Island | -- | -- | -- |
BetMGM has the potential to be a big name in US sports betting, but has a little bit slower out of the gates than some of its competitors. In West Virginia, at least, its launch came only a few months after that of FanDuel and DraftKings. Like FanDuel, it chose The Greenbrier as its partner. The BetMGM brand is operated by Roar Digital, created as a joint endeavor between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings.
BetMGM also offers legal online casino gambling in WV.
FanDuel’s monopoly in West Virginia lasted barely 48 hours, as DraftKings followed it into the market later the same week. The DraftKings partnership was inevitable under its nationwide market-access deal with Hollywood owner Penn National Gaming. DraftKings was itself under private ownership until April 2020, when it went public via a reverse merger with technology provider SBTech.
DraftKings Casino also operates legally in WV.
FanDuel wasn’t technically the first sports betting app in West Virginia, but it has fared much better than its only predecessor. It launched in August 2019, bringing online betting back to West Virginia after a five-month absence stemming from the failure of BetLucky. The daily fantasy giant chose The Greenbrier as its land-based partner, making it the epicenter of online betting in the state.
Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island are both owned by Delaware North. It was through these licenses and a now-defunct joint venture with Miomni that the group made its ill-fated entry to the market under the BetLucky brand.
Delaware North made its second attempt at sports betting starting in January 2020, reopening its two retail sportsbooks under a new brand — betly. They’re powered by a fresh partnership with IGT, a well-established company that should prove less problematic than the old BetLucky suppliers.
When the retail sportsbooks opened, Delaware North indicated it expected a mobile app to follow “very soon.” Those plans may have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other reasons, and as yet there is still no firm date for launch.
West Virginians enjoy betting on the same sports as gamblers in other states. The top leagues for betting include:
Unlike some states, WV does not have any particular collegiate betting restrictions. Fans of second-tier sports like tennis, golf, and cricket will also find the opportunity to bet on major competitions in those sports in WV.
So far, the state regulator has not made a firm decision one way or the other about esports and mind sports betting.
WV sports betting includes all the usual betting options on both professional and collegiate sports. Operators may offer:
Combination bets such as parlays and round-robins are also allowed. Most operators also offer a full slate of in-play betting options.
Online sports betting promotions typically come in one of two flavors in West Virginia.
Free bets are exactly that, promotional wagers given to new players just for signing up. Some may take the form of a matched bet, while others will not require the customer to bet their own money. Deposit bonuses reward bettors for funding their accounts by adding additional money — either a flat amount or a percentage of the associated deposit.
Most WV online sportsbooks offer bonuses in one or both of these categories.
Much as is the case with WV online casinos, online sportsbooks in the state accept a variety of methods for users to deposit funds to their accounts:
Withdrawal options are fewer, though cash-outs via ACH/eCheck, PayPal, and regular checks are generally available. Bettors are also able to withdraw funds in person at the licensing casino’s cashier cage.
Here are answers to some common questions about WV sports betting.
Yes, West Virginia lawmakers legalized sports betting in 2018. By the end of the year, operators were legally booking wagers in the state across both retail and online/mobile channels.
Adults at least 21 years old are eligible to bet on sports in West Virginia, provided they are (1) located in the state and (2) not otherwise excluded from gambling. Residency is not a requirement, but online/mobile platforms do require the bettor to be physically present within the borders to wager.
The five West Virginia casinos act as the primary licensees for sports betting. All of them have physical sportsbooks on site. Online and mobile betting are also available statewide.
Yes, the West Virginia sports betting law authorizes online and mobile sportsbooks in addition to physical betting locations. Although the first betting sites and apps rolled out in late 2018, the sector didn’t overcome its early growing pains until the larger operators entered the market in 2019.
West Virginia lawmakers imposed a modest tax rate for sports betting operators amounting to 10% of gross revenue. Five-year licenses are likewise affordable compared to many jurisdictions at $100,000 apiece.
The West Virginia Lottery regulates all gambling in the state, including sports betting.
The WV legislature officially authorized sports betting in the state in 2018 after failed attempts in the two years prior.
The bill sponsored by Sen. Ryan Ferns enjoyed bipartisan support and a relatively smooth path through both chambers, though it remained inactive until the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA two months later. At the time, the Mountain State was just the fourth in the country to legalize single-game wagering.
Despite a great deal of meddling by the governor and the sports leagues, diligent regulatory work facilitated the launch of WV sports betting in time for the following NFL season.
The state’s first legal bet was placed at Hollywood Casino on Aug. 30, 2018, and the first online sportsbook — BetLucky WV — subsequently debuted on Dec. 27. Although the latter no longer exists, several more-reputable online/mobile options have come to the market since.