US casino operator Delaware North is turfing its West Virginia sports betting technology partner Miomni Gaming following a lengthy disruption in local service.
On Friday, word broke that Delaware North’s two West Virginia casinos – Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island – were severing their business ties to Miomni Gaming, which had powered the BetLucky online and mobile sports betting product, the only digital wagering operations that had launched in the state to date.
BetLucky abruptly suspended operations on March 6, and word later surfaced that Miomni was having unspecified issues with Entergaming, a Cyprus-based third-party tech supplier. On Friday, Delaware North issued a statement saying the company was “taking steps to terminate its partnership” with Miomni.
Delaware North said it was “evaluating all options” to resume its sports betting operations, both online and at the two casinos, but warned its customers that the task of “identifying and implementing a solution could take several months or longer.”
The company apologized for the inconvenience the dustup had caused its customers, while assuring them that it would “honor and redeem all resulted bets” and allow them full access to the funds in their betting accounts.
West Virginia Lottery director John Myers told the WV Metro News that the Lottery – which oversees gaming activity in the state – “stands ready to work with Delaware North to bring both sportsbooks back online as quickly as possible once Delaware North has a solution in place.”
The state’s other three land-based casinos have all launched their own retail sportsbooks but none of them have taken their action online, despite these casinos having partnered with DraftKings, FanDuel and William Hill, some of the nascent US sports betting sector’s leading lights.
In more positive news, this week saw West Virginia become the fifth US state to officially authorize online casino and poker products, the offering of which will be limited to the same five casinos (and their hopefully more reliable tech partners).
