West Virginia sportsbooks post $61.7m handle for October

The West Virginia sports betting handle increased by 2.7% month-on-month in October, according to data released by the state regulator*.

The report shows that sportsbooks in the state took in $61.7 million in wagers in October, a slight increase from the $60.1 million processed in September. October’s handle was also 38.2% higher than the $44.6 million reported in the same period last year.

On the other hand, the revenue generated by the activity took a drastic fall as it went from a record $7.1 million in September to $2.7 million in October. The figure shows a decrease of nearly 62% month-on-month. October’s hold was also 28.9% less than the $3.7 million won in the same period last year.

The state’s coffers received $226,714 in taxes from operators during the month.

Mobile on the rise as retail drops

The West Virginia mobile sports betting market continued to perform well in October, as operators took in $47.8 million in wagers from online customers. September’s mobile handle tallied $45.9 million, indicating a slight improvement of 4.3% month-on-month.

Retail sportsbooks, on the other hand, handled $13.9 million in the month, down from $14.3 million in September.

When it comes to profits, the combined hold for online sportsbooks was $1.6 million, while retail operators retained $1.1 million of the total amount staked by patrons.

The Greenbrier still top in West Virginia

The figures posted by the West Virginia Lottery put The Greenbrier ahead of other licensees in the state in terms of betting handle.

The facility had a combined handle of $28.8 million in October, and a hold of $817,911. The two online betting apps tied to the casino, FanDuel and BetMGM, accounted for $27.8 million of the wagers, while the FanDuel-branded retail sportsbook inside the White Sulphur Springs located facility took in $973,333 in bets. The operator’s revenue from internet sports betting was $675,932.

Penn National’s Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races came a close second with a handle of $23.5 million and $1.3 million in revenue. The casino’s physical sportsbook took in $7.2 million in sports wagers, the highest for any retail operator in the state. The amount generated by the land-based sportsbook in revenue was $499,043.

When it comes to retail, Hollywood Casinos online sports betting partners, DraftKings and PointsBet had a combined handle of $16.3 million and $845,009 in revenue.

Mountaineer Casino in New Cumberland reported the third highest handle at $6.3 million. Of this, $3.5 million came from retail customers while the facility’s online partner, Caesars, processed $2.9 million worth of bets.

The Delaware North-owned Mardi Gras Casino’s total betting handle for the month was $2.1 million, with retail accounting for $1.3 million and $728,061 coming from the licensee’s online partner, Betly Sportsbook. The establishment’s sister casino, Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack in Wheeling, posted $1.02 million in sports betting handle during the period.

*The figures are based on data published by the West Virginia Lottery in the period from October 3-30. The state regulator releases gaming revenue reports weekly as opposed to monthly.