West Virginia edges closer to launching sports betting app

Testing came to its final stages in Harleston, West Virginia this week which would see the launch of a sports betting app for Hollywood Casino in Charles Town.
The new app would mean that individuals aged 21 years and over will be permitted to place a bet via mobile as long as they do so within state boundaries – with no requirement for them to be located in a terrestrial casino to play.
In what is a huge step forward in the development of online gambling and affiliate marketing in the US, the Lottery is expecting Hollywood Casino to roll out the app in a soft opening sometime next week.
The state Lottery has been testing the app this week with Draft Kings as the casino’s management services provider. Lottery Director, John Myers has confirmed that the app has passed all the tests.
Myers added: “We were making sure we can get the reports out of it that we need. Making sure that we can verify the player that has the account is the one playing and to make sure the geo-location system works and those people are actually located inside the state of West Virginia.”
The state’s mobile regulations follow similar lines to those deployed by New Jersey and Pennsylvania, who have enjoyed a successful year post-PASPA. New legislation in West Virginia has confirmed that the Lottery will operate interactive wagering in the state and added that making mobile legal would benefit consumers.
There are currently no sports betting apps in West Virginia. BetLucky had a short and sweet reign when it was used at Delaware North Casinos at Wheeling Island and Cross Lanes earlier this year, but was taken offline March 6 following a legal dispute about its creation. For now, Delaware North is not offering sports betting at either casino.
Previous bets are still being paid out by the Delaware North casinos – not surprisingly, Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras casinos lost money on sports betting in April, according to financial numbers released by the Lottery on Wednesday.
Myers said the Draft Kings app has some of the same characteristics as BetLucky.