WYNNBET TO ENTER WEST VIRGINIA ONLINE SPORTS BETTING MARKET

Nick Makowitz Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

In the first week of November, WynnBET announced it will enter the West Virginia online sports betting market through its partnership with Delaware North. Delaware North, a global hospitality and entertainment company, already owns and operates Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras Casino in the Mountain State.

When it goes live, WynnBET will most likely be the seventh sportsbook operator available online in West Virginia. Delaware North is adding to its market access in West Virginia, as the company already operates Betly, an online operation for its retail holdings in the state.

WynnBet is partnering with Delaware North for West Virginia online sports betting and iGaming, the company announced today. WynnBet is live in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee & Virginia. The company now has some sort of market access deal in 18 states.— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) November 2, 2021

Delaware North had previously made a move to enter the online sports betting game in West Virginia through the brand BetLucky. Unfortunately, that lasted less than six months due to a complex legal dispute with partner Miomni.

Now, the company operates the aforementioned Betly platform and has added a reputable partner in WynnBET.

WynnBET operates under Wynn Interactive, the online gaming branch of Wynn Resorts. With its new access to West Virginia, WynnBET will have an online sportsbook in nine states. As the online gaming and betting space evolves, the company will attempt to add to its portfolio. Currently, it is in negotiations to obtain access to another six betting markets.

WynnBET will join a handful of major players when it goes live. Below is a list of operators with online sportsbooks in West Virginia:

• FanDuel Sportsbook
• DraftKings Sportsbook
• BetMGM Sportsbook
• Caesars Sportsbook
• PointsBet Sportsbook
• Betly Sportsbook

WynnBET hopes its $100 million ad campaign will help make a splash in a new market. The ad campaign, featuring celebrities as big (literally) as Shaquille O’Neal and Ben Affleck, is likely a response to FanDuel and DraftKings’ combined $311 million in television advertising in 2020.

Although online sports betting has been legal in West Virginia for over three years, the market has stayed relatively small. Some states that legalized online sports betting after the Mountain State have soared past it with respect to betting handle and revenue.

West Virginia is undoubtedly a smaller natural market than some of the industry leaders like New Jersey and Nevada, but bringing in WynnBET provides the state another company willing to play with the big boys.

FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM dominate most markets and are willing to spend on advertising to attract new customers. That is great for any state’s tax revenue. WynnBET has demonstrated the willingness to compete as well, and should help grow West Virginia’s online sports betting market.

As of September 2021, West Virginia’s mobile betting handle ranked outside of the top-ten among legal states. When WynnBET launches its online sportsbook in West Virginia, be sure to look for welcome offers and promotions. The company will likely offer special deals to newcomers that may include enticing odds on the beloved Mountaineers.

Written by Nick Makowitz, our US Sports Betting Industry Expert. You can learn more about our author's expertise here.

Nick Makowitz

In his spare time, Nick likes digging into NFL and NCAAB betting data, going to breweries with friends, and trying out any and every Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh. More from Nick Makowitz