Fanduel Sportsbook West Virginia
After nearly six months, West Virginia online sports betting has been revived, and residents can thank FanDuel Sportsbook for that.
Scientific Games Corporation has partnered with Flutter Entertainment subsidiary FanDuel Group, marking the US operator’s first online sportsbook launch in West Virginia with the company’s sports betting engine. FanDuel’s online sportsbook has been live in West Virginia since 2019, but this latest alliance will see it debut its new global sportsbook solution developed in partnership. FanDuel launched its online sportsbook in West Virginia on August 26th. As a result, bettors in the state can enjoy even greater choice and convenience when it comes to placing sports wagers. FanDuel is also a powerhouse in daily fantasy sports and, together with DraftKings, combine to own a commanding percentage of that industry’s market share.
The industry leader in New Jersey and rising power in Pennsylvania introduced an online sportsbook in the Mountain State on Aug. 26, bringing an end to the state’s tumultuous battle with mobile wagering.
Country road, take me to FanDuel
It’s not like FanDuel is brand new to West Virginia.
Since fall 2018, the sportsbook has operated the brick-and-mortar location at The Greenbrier private club, which has totaled less than $500,000 since going live last September.
Understand, however, that bagging The Greenbrier as a partner was a mere avenue to open online sports betting for FanDuel.
Indeed, the operator is taking full advantage, debuting a regulated mobile wagering service that is available on desktop and mobile for Android and iOS users.
“We are incredibly excited that this new app is available for download,” Greenbrier President Jill Justice said in a statement, “and the timing couldn’t be better with football season and a military tribute at The Greenbrier right around the corner.
“We hope sports fans across the state will try out the app and then some visit the amazing FanDuel Sportsbook retail location here at America’s Resort.”
Peeking into the FanDuel online sportsbook
Naturally, in its attempt to capitalize on an essentially untapped market, FanDuel is offering markets in all the major sports:
- College football
- NFL
- MLB
- NHL
- US Open Tennis
And of course, the sportsbook features a number of betting formats, from point spreads to over/under totals to moneylines, futures and parlays.
On top of it all, FanDuel offers in-game wagering and round-robin parlays, a format that combines at least three selections into smaller parlay bets.
No GAN means shared wallet for DFS users
One difference between FanDuel’s services in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia: The operator will not utilize GAN account management in the Mountain State. Instead, FanDuel’s betting app runs standalone, completely powered by in-house technology.
That may mean little, if anything, to customers in West Virginia. But simplified, this translates to a shared wallet for those residents who participate in daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting.
Fanduel Sportsbook West Virginia Lottery
FanDuel brings an industry-leading product to WV
It is no secret that FanDuel Sportsbook has established itself as a sports betting powerhouse.
In New Jersey, the operator has accumulated more than $67 million in revenue since going live in September 2018, reflecting roughly a 44% share in the Garden State during that time. FanDuel has led the online sports betting market since February, and since then, it has claimed about a 53% revenue share.
FanDuel remains relatively new to the Pennsylvania online sports betting scene. The company went live in late July. Even in a short time, in just over a week of operations, FanDuel took in nearly $3.3 million in wagers, just $400,000 less than Parx Sportsbook.
Now, FanDuel looks for similar success in a state that has already struggled to maintain online wagering.
FanDuel resurrects WV online sports betting
Though FanDuel’s launch now makes online sports betting accessible to those in the state, it wasn’t the first, technically. Once upon a time, West Virginia boasted mobile wagering, only to pull the plug shortly after. Courtesy of a partnership with Delaware North, developer Mionmi Gaming collaborated with the casino operating group to produce the BetLucky online sports betting product.
However, a pricing dispute between Mionmi and a third-party group, Entergaming, threw a wrench into the system. This past March, BetLucky was suspended. And it has remained sidelined for nearly six months.
FanDuel now represents the hero that West Virginia sports betting needed. And it might not be the only one.
According to Legal Sports Report, DraftKings Sportsbook could introduce an online sportsbook within the week. Additionally, bookmakers William Hill, PointsBet and The Stars Group boast partnerships that allow them to enter the West Virginia market.
West Virginia Real Estate
So, in essence, this could be the beginning for the revitalization of West Virginia online wagering.
Scientific Games announced that its new partnership with FanDuel Group includes the introduction of its latest online sportsbook solution.
FanDuel Sportsbook in the Mountain State will debut Scientific Games’ technology, which utilizes the OpenBet platform. This betting engine is part of Scientific Games’ OpenSports component.
While this is the first deal between Scientific Games and FanDuel, the game company has a long history of providing sports betting platforms. Flutter Entertainment, Scientific Games’ parent company, uses OpenBet to help power several other online sports betting apps around the world.
FanDuel adds Scientific Games
FanDuel was the first online sportsbook offered in West Virginia in the state’s second wave of mobile wagering. It launched in August of 2019 and is one of the top producing sportsbooks available.
It is linked to the casino resort The Greenbrier, along with BetMGM Sportsbook. Together, the two typically lead the online sports betting market in the state on a weekly basis.
They combined to accept over $4.2 million in handle for the first week in December.
Now that FanDuel is enhancing its already quality betting product, it’s possible the operator could gain even more control of the industry.
FanDuel’s CEO, Matt King, spoke about gaining a great, new partner which will deliver an even better online sportsbook. He said:
“We are excited to roll out our next generation sportsbook technology throughout the United States, starting with West Virginia. Our global sports betting platform will offer customers an unrivaled betting experience and will cement FanDuel’s place as America’s number one sportsbook.”
West Virginia leads way for other states
Besides WV, FanDuel is among the top online options in many other parts of the US. It’s available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee and Colorado, as well.
Once Scientific Games’ new software is applied to the WV sportsbook, it will likely continue to expand into these other locations.
The technology provider is also looking toward its next venture. Jordan Levin, Scientific Games’ CEO for digital, discussed its deal with FanDuel. He said:
“Going live with FanDuel’s new sportsbook is a truly landmark moment in our rich history of servicing Flutter Entertainment brands. Utilizing OpenSports technology is a game changer for FanDuel and will introduce a new way of betting for its customers. Our dedicated team has been extremely agile and flexible, providing the operator with excellent service in West Virginia.”
If you’re a sports bettor residing in WV and you don’t already have FanDuel Sportsbook, it seems now is the time to download the mobile app.