West Virginia Becomes Third State to Allow Legal Mobile Sports Betting Apps
What a way to end the year.
To cap off 2018, West Virginia’s first ever mobile wagering app launched as state-regulated online sports betting went live across the state.
The Mountaineer State joins Nevada and New Jersey as the only states to offer real money wagering through online and mobile betting apps within its jurisdiction. The app supports iPhone, Android, and Window devices
Delaware North, who already owns two land-based casinos in West Virginia (Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras), launched the Bet Lucky mobile sports betting app for West Virginia residents alongside the launch of the brick-and-mortar and online sportsbooks at its two casinos.
The company had planned to launch online sports betting at its casinos in October following a passed field test by the West Virginia Lottery Commission but chose to delay the launch until the Bet Lucky mobile sports betting app was ready, so all products could be launched simultaneously.
During this time, Delaware North also decided to partner with Miommi Gaming to assist with offering all of the company’s sports betting services statewide.
Luisa Woods, vice president of marketing for Delaware North’s gaming division said she believes the launch was worth the wait and believes both residents and visitors are going to enjoy the mobile betting app experience the company has created.
“We think West Virginians and visitors to the Mountain State are going to love how easy it is to register and use the app,” Woods said. “The platform was designed to be flexible, easy to use and reliable, with innovative features designed specifically to engage and entertain U.S. sports fans. Patrons at the casinos can use the app or the betting tellers in the sportsbooks.”
This marks the end to a monumental year for all types of betting after the historic Supreme Court decision that lifted the federal ban on states not being allowed to make laws regarding sports betting.
States that legalized sports betting as a result of the decision and states looking to craft legislation in 2019 are primarily looking at New Jersey for either re-thinking or how they should implement mobile and online sports betting.
In under 6 months, New Jersey took in $928.1 million in sports wagers through the end of November.
Although the official report that includes December isn’t expected to come out until mid-January 2019, the handle should easily surpass the $1 billion mark.
In the month of November alone, New Jersey sports betting handle took in $330 million, but of that, 72 percent of money bet was from both online and mobile betting apps.
Expect to see a lot more states incorporating online and mobile betting apps into their sports wagering bills as it sweeps across the nation ever further in 2019.
In fact, we won’t have to wait too long either.
Washington D.C. will offer a state-run mobile sports betting app through the D.C. Lottery pending a signature from the mayor and a congressional review, and Pennsylvania is set to launch online and mobile sports betting apps in early 2019.