West Virginia’s sports bettors may soon be back betting on the fly as a DraftKings mobile app grows closer to receiving official launch approval.
On Wednesday, the WV Metro News reported that the West Virginia Lottery had successfully completed testing of DraftKings’ mobile betting app, paving the way for the product’s soft-launch ‘sometime next week.’ DraftKings has partnered with Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
While all five of West Virginia’s gaming venues managed to launch land-based wagering operations, the state’s bettors have been without a digital option since March 6, when the BetLucky app went dark amid a growing legal dispute between casino operator Delaware North and its technology partner Miomni Gaming.
Delaware North’s two casinos have since also halted their retail betting operations, creating even more of an opportunity for DraftKings’ new app to grab market share. WV Lottery director John Myers said the Bet Lucky app had outperformed its retail counterpart “on several weeks” during its brief existence.
The state’s other two gaming venues – the Mountaineer Racetrack & Casino and the Greenbrier Resort – have betting technology deals with William Hill and FanDuel, respectively. There’s currently no timeline for when either of these venues might dip their toes into the mobile betting pool.
Digital channels routinely account for around four-fifths of betting handle in New Jersey, where DraftKings was first to launch a mobile betting app and quickly established itself as the digital market leader. However, it has ceded that crown to rival FanDuel in recent months.
DraftKings has struck numerous prospective wagering partnerships with land-based gaming operators but is currently offering wagering in only two states: New Jersey and Mississippi.
