When we think of online gambling in the United States, usually New Jersey or Pennsylvania comes to mind. These states have dominated the industry and continue to do so each and every month. However, there are other states that offer iGaming, including West Virginia. This week, it was announced that a fourth operator is getting ready to offer services in the state by next year. Rush Street Interactive has announced that an agreement has been signed with Century Casinos to provide iGaming in 2021 via the BetRivers brand.
The New Deal
With the new deal, the BetRivers brand will start offering online gambling services in the state via a deal with Mountaineer Park, a gaming venue located in New Cumberland. Once approval is given by the state’s Lottery, the site should go live by spring 2021.
Richard Schwartz, the president of Rush Street Interactive, stated that the company has become a market leader in Pennsylvania, and they want to see the same outcome in the Mountain State. Rush Street offers online gambling in the Keystone State via PlaySugarHouse. The online casino has seen slot gaming swell to $1.8 billion for the 2020-21 fiscal year, through October.
In a statement, Schwartz pointed out that in Pennsylvania, the company is a clear leader based on market share. They have seen success due to the secure and reliable gaming platform as well as its player-first attitude.
The brand provides transparent customer support along with a large library of games with an innovative gaming experience. All these factors will be included in the West Virginia launch, which should help the company to be successful in the state.
The BetRivers brand will launch slots and table games next year, one approved. Players will need to be 21 years of age or older to sign up for an account and play games. Right now, only BetMGM and DraftKings offer services online in the state. The Golden Nugget has been approved but has yet to launch services.
Growing the New Industry
Online gambling was legalized in West Virginia back in 2019. However, it took over a year for approval to be given to regulations and for those rules to be implemented. Mobile casino gaming launched back in September officially and since that time, players have taken to the games on offer.
So far, within the first three months, over $288 million was wagered on slots and table games. This has created more than $1 million in taxes to the state. Operators have earned over $7 million in revenues from gaming.
Along with online casino gaming, the state also provides sports betting services. This industry is also doing quite well. Since July, the industry has seen over $239 million in wagers placed. Online bets accounted for well over $164 million of that total amount. Players tend to enjoy mobile wagering over online due to convenience as bets can be placed from anywhere.
Sportsbooks in the state have pulled in a whopping $18 million in revenues. From that amount, $1.5 million was paid in tax revenues.
