West Virginia’s sports betting industry is continuing to decline. In February, sports betting numbers fell once again, but there is a silver lining for the state. iGaming is on the rise in the state, and this trend seems like it will continue in the coming months.
West Virginia Sports Betting by the Numbers
The sports betting handle in West Virginia amassed $38.2 million in February. This was shocking because it substantially declined from the February figure, which was $50.7 million. A 24.6% decline from January to February in a month where the Super Bowl occurred should be alarming for the state’s gambling industry.
The state revealed the numbers on Monday, and it became known that the figure was down 3.5% from February 2020, when the handle was $39.6 million.
Mobile Betting Drops
Mobile betting is usually successful even in a bad month for a state that offers retail betting and internet wagering. The mobile betting handle in West Virginia was just over $27 million, which dropped 17.7% from January.
Mobile betting was only down 1.3% from February 2020, but any drop is not exciting for the state’s gambling industry. West Virginia sports betting encompassed a total revenue of $1.4 million which was 66% lower than January when sportsbooks totaled $4 million.
The state collected $115,954 in taxes in February compared to $337,990 in January. A decline like this should be alarming for the state during the recovery process from the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will be interesting to see how sports betting performs in March, but iGaming is continuing to spike in the state, which is a positive sign.
iGaming Rises in February
iGaming increased from January to February in a big way, rising by over 18%. In February, the iGaming handle was $117 million, nearly $18 million higher than January’s $99.1 million total.
The iGaming market’s revenue was $3.44 million in February compared to $2.79 million in January. The state was fortunate that iGaming increased so extensively to make up for the sports betting industry’s losses.
West Virginia is one of a handful of states who offer online casinos and poker. The other states that resemble West Virginia are Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Michigan. Michigan recently launched iGaming in January.
Six states in America, including Nevada, offer online poker but do not give people the ability to bet through online casino games. West Virginia is progressive in providing online casinos and poker, and it’s paying off for the state’s economy.
DraftKings Casino, BetMGM, and NetEnt are the three iGaming platforms that are live in West Virginia at this point. Rush Street Interactive will soon join the group and add depth to a loaded industry.
Rush Street Interactive offers one of the most superior online casino products in the industry. Additionally, they give players a phenomenal rewards system that is renowned in the national gambling market.
Rush Street announced a deal with Century Casinos for BetRivers.com to enter the state. BetRivers is expected to launch in the middle of 2021.
