Less than a month ago West Virginia had not had an online sportsbook operator since the March shutdown of BetLucky. Now there are two – and two of the biggest in the game.
Sports fantasy giant DraftKings which doubles as one of New Jersey’s big-gun sportsbooks has joined FanDuel in the Mountaineering State.
And to the delight of West Virginia football fans, they managed to do it ahead of the NFL kickoff Thursday.
From Wednesday last week, WVa punters could start betting using lap-tops and smartphones from anywhere in the state.
DraftKings’ entry into West Virginia follows a licensing agreement with Penn National Gaming and is the next pivotal step toward national expansion.
DraftKings “thrilled” by latest expansion
“We are thrilled to continue our DraftKings Sportsbook expansion by getting our product into the hands of West Virginians.” The words are those of Matt Kalish, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at DraftKings.
“We look forward to serving our fans with the top-rated DraftKings Sportsbook app,” he said. “It features numerous consumer protection features. It also strives to provide the broadest selection of betting options with the best odds and rewards in West Virginia.
“DraftKings knows the American sports fan better than anyone. We look forward to proving that in the Mountain State.”
DraftKings first sportsbook has paid out more than $720 million to its New Jersey customers, it noted in a press release.
The expansion of its app to West Virginia is its latest move in its commitment to providing the most enjoyable mobile sports betting nationally, it said.
Fans can seamlessly switch from sports betting to DFS
Fans in West Virginia will have the opportunity to seamlessly transition between the DraftKings Sportsbook and the DraftKings Fantasy apps. “It will enable them to engage with their favorite major and niche sports worldwide,” it added.
The wire act prohibits sportsbooks from accepting bets from outside of the state in which it operates. This, however, has never applied to daily fantasy sports.
As a result, DraftKings is currently running DFS contests across 13 professional sports in 8 countries. They include the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
On the sportsbook front, DraftKings now operate sportsbook in New Jersey, New York, Mississippi, and West Virginia. State laws, however, differ.
New Jersey and West Virginia are offering online betting as well as in-person, land-based retail betting. New York and Mississippi only allow the retail form of it.
Footnote:
Sports fans in New Jersey and West Virginia have two choices when making online wagers. They can use their smartphones to place online bets on the DraftKings Sportsbook app via iOS or Android.
Otherwise, they can also use their laptops by going to the DraftKings website at Sportsbook.DraftKings.com.
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