Mobile sports betting is set to return to West Virginia before the end of this month, according to the director of the state’s lottery.
West Virginia Lottery director John Myers told iGamingBusiness.com that two apps had entered the final testing phase, and that a launch date for each would be set “in the coming days.”
Although the names of the two providers have not been disclosed, it is understood that they will be the sportsbooks supported by DraftKings at Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, and by FanDuel at Greenbrier Resort, the venue owned by state governor Jim Justice.
DraftKings and the Lottery carried out testing of the app in late May with a view to rolling it out to consumers soon after. However, while testing of the system was successful, the regulator ultimately delayed the launch, over concerns related physical location of the servers, with a view to ensuring compliance with the Federal Wire Act.
West Virginia consumers have not been able to bet via mobile devices since 6 March, when Delaware North’s BetLucky app, operated through a joint venture with Miomni Gaming, went offline less than two months after launching.
Although a service interruption was given as the initial explanation, it later emerged that an infringement dispute between Miomni and rival supplier Enterg Software Solutions had led to the development.
Delaware North terminated its contract with Miomni shortly after, with its online and land-based sportsbooks remaining closed. In April, the operator launched a lawsuit against Miomni, which the supplier is fighting. It claims that Enterg interference led to the shut-down, and that the app could quickly be brought back online.
From its launch late in December 2018 to the date of the shut-down, BetLucky generated revenue of $670,443.36.