DraftKings first to launch igaming in West Virginia
Mountain State joins New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Nevada in offering legal igaming to locals
DraftKings is the first operator to launch online casino in West Virginia as the vertical goes live in the state after emergency rules were pushed through late last year.
The regulator initially expected to launch igaming in June after receiving great interest from the state’s five casinos as well as DraftKings and FanDuel.
Online casino is expected to bring in similar revenues to sports betting, which recorded earnings of $19m in 2019.
DraftKings’ entry into the state, via its market-access deal with Penn National’s Hollywood Casino, will see its standalone casino app available to users, featuring branded live casino games and a host of slots titles.
Sportsbook users will also be able to access the casino app via the DraftKings sportsbook app.
Igaming licenses in West Virginia will cost $250,000 initially, with a five-year renewal fee of $100,000.
West Virginia is the fifth US state to operate legal igaming including Nevada’s poker network.
Igaming in the US experienced a huge surge during the coronavirus lockdown, with New Jersey recording revenues of $86m and $85m in May and June, up from $52m in February.