The Mountain State was the fourth state to go live with this type of gambling. OHIO COUNTY, W.Va. — Sports betting kicked off in West Virginia casinos in late 2018.
The Mountain State was the fourth state to go live with this type of gambling.
“We were going to enter a new environment, wasn’t quite certain what it was going to do, but it’s been very successful,” Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack Regional President Kim Florence said. “The millions we have been able to bring in has done a lot for the economy in West Virginia. We’re really proud to be a part of that, to provide more for the state of West Virginia.”
While the mobile sportsbook had to close down in 2019, and casinos shut their doors for just over 2 months in 2020 with COVID, revenue from sports betting has steadily increased over the last 4 years.
“In fact, in the past fiscal year, just on the mobile apps, we’ve had a 40 percent growth,” Delegate Shawn Fluharty said. “Between sports betting and iGaming, which is a huge revenue producer in the state, we’re up to nearly $100 million per year in revenue when you combine both sports betting and iGaming.”
Sports betting, simply put, is wagering on games.
IGaming is online wagering that can include games like poker, blackjack, and roulette that can be accessed on your phone.
According to playwv.com, since July 2019, more than $947 million have been wagered, with a total revenue for the state of $76.3 million.
Lottery revenue in the state goes toward tourism and state parks, senior citizens and education.“Think about where that money goes, think about the Promise Scholarship. The lottery structure in West Virginia benefits many people, our college students, those who are prospective college students, our elderly,” Fluharty said. “It goes to things that function for our society, that really benefits society as a whole.”With West Virginia being one of the first states to offer sports betting, places like Wheeling Island Casino-Hotel-Racetrack have seen more people coming through the doors.That means those same visitors are spending their money in different ways in the state.“Some of the […]
Click here to view original web page at wtov9.com
