Digital sports betting is finally back to West Virginia nearly six months after Delaware North’s BetLucky app fiasco. Sports betting and daily fantasy sports operator FanDuel rolled out on Monday its mobile betting app in the state through its partnership with The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs.
FanDuel’s app is now available for download via iOS and Android and bettors can place their bets from anywhere within the state.
The launch of the app comes just days ahead of the start of college football this coming Saturday. And with college football being pretty big in West Virginia, the availability of mobile betting on the territory of the state could come as a big boost to its sports gambling market.
FanDuel’s betting app was the first one to go live in West Virginia since early March when Delaware North’s BetLucky app was shut down permanently due to a dispute between the casino operator’s sports betting partner Miomni and a third-party technology provider.
However, FanDuel will not enjoy a long-time monopoly over mobile betting in the state as its archenemy DraftKings is gearing up preparations to tap in the state’s digital betting market, as well. West Virginia Lottery Director John Myers told media last week that two operators were ready to go live with mobile sports gambling and that they hoped their operations would launch before the start of the new college football season on August 31.
Mr. Myers did not name the two operators, but it was pretty clear that he meant namely FanDuel and DraftKings. The latter company’s app is expected to go live in West Virginia as early as today. DraftKings is working in partnership with Hollywood Casino in Charles Town.
FanDuel’s Latest Market
West Virginia legalized athletic gambling last spring in preparation for the May 2018 landmark SCOTUS ruling that struck down a long-standing federal ban on the practice. FanDuel announced that it had agreed to become The Greenbrier’s retail and online sports betting partner about a month after the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The operator launched a physical wagering facility in September, but it had to wait for a little while before being able to go live with mobile betting, as well. The delay in the launch of new sports betting apps was attributed to concerns over DOJ’s reversed 2011 opinion on the Wire Act.
West Virginia is the third state FanDuel has gone live with a betting app after New Jersey, where it is the absolute market leader, and Pennsylvania, where many believe it is poised to become the market leader.
The FanDuel Sportsbook App
FanDuel’s app in West Virginia is a standalone product powered by in-house technology, unlike its New Jersey/Pennsylvania app which is run by GAN on the back end. Being an in-house product, the West Virginia app connects to FanDuel’s fantasy sports offering, making it a double treat to fans of both betting and DFS.
FanDuel operates a small sportsbook inside The Casino Club at The Greenbrier, but bearing in mind the resort’s exclusivity, the betting facility has not been the state’s most popular betting stop. However, the retail sportsbook was never intended to be the backbone of the partnership between the betting operator and the luxury casino complex as FanDuel is really more focused on its digital offering.
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