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West Virginia Has Second-Worst Sports Betting Month in Two Years

Perry Sandra

Updated as of July 11, 2023 at 3:43 PM EDT • Read time: 1 minute and 59 seconds. Links to Twitter and Google News available.

The West Virginia Mountaineers mascot looks on in the first half against the Murray State Racers during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 16, 2018. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP

The legal sports betting industry in West Virginia is experiencing a downturn, as revealed by the latest revenue report from the West Virginia Lottery. The report for the month of June showed a decrease in betting activity at the state’s top sportsbooks, with significant drops in both year-over-year handle and revenue.

The total handle for retail sports betting outlets and West Virginia sports betting fell below $30 million for the first time since August, reaching its lowest total since July of last year. With only baseball on the betting menus for the next few months, the Mountaineer State is left wondering just how low monthly sports betting activity will go.

West Virginia handle dips 12% from May

In June, sports bettors in West Virginia spent a total of $28.06 million at retail sports betting outlets and through West Virginia sports betting apps. This amount reflects a 12% decrease compared to the $35.14 million wagered in May.

West Virginia sportsbooks are facing a concerning trend as they see a significant decrease in betting activity from June 2022 to June 2023. The $28.06 million handle last month marks a 15.7% drop from the sports betting totals of the previous year.

In June, West Virginia sports betting apps accounted for $25 million of the total handle in the state, while retail outlets contributed $3 million in sports betting activity.

Revenues took a hit, too

Not only did the West Virginia legal sports betting handle decrease in June, but the revenues for the state’s sports betting providers also suffered a setback during West Virginia’s second-worst sports betting month in two years.

In June, retail providers and West Virginia sports betting apps generated $2.61 million in revenues, marking a 25.4% decrease from the previous month’s earnings. This decline was attributed to a decrease in both the amount of bets placed and the hold rate.

In June, West Virginia sportsbooks’ hold decreased to 9.3% from 10.8% in May.

In June, taxes paid to state and local coffers totaled $261,000, a decrease of $33,000 from the $294,361 paid in May.

The Virginia Lottery sports betting report had one positive highlight: a fiscal-year tax contribution of $5.3 million, marking an 18% increase from the previous year.

Charles Town has highest handle, the Greenbrier tops in revenues

In June, the race to become the top West Virginia sports betting partnership ended in a tie. Charles Town, boasting partnerships with DraftKings, Barstool Underscoreg, and PointsBet, took the lead with a total handle of $14.04 million and $1.05 million in revenue.

Greenbrier, along with their partnerships with FanDuel, BetMGM, and Golden Nugget, generated the highest revenues in June with a 12.2% hold. The company reported $1.4 million in revenues for June, based on an $11.5 million handle.

Mountaineer, in partnership with Caesars and BetRivers, came in third place with a June West Virginia handle of $1.14 million and revenue of $113,672.

Gamblers have the opportunity to benefit from promotions offered by West Virginia sportsbooks.

Written By:
Perry Sandra
Perry Sandra and betting go hand-in-hand. Both are characterized by “odds”. Dave fancies himself as one of the most dedicated sports and pop-culture junkies around, to the chagrin of his family and friends. Following sports for 50 years and writing about it for 20, Dave hasn’t found a sport yet that can’t contribute to 2-3 straight hours of couch time. That search remains ongoing. As a good old Canadian boy, hockey is in Dave’s heart, as is curling sadly. But evolution is a real thing and that’s why football, baseball, and just about every sport on the planet has become a passion. Dave isn’t afraid to kill some time obsessing over politics or the far-too-frequent awards shows the consume the airwaves.