WynnBet Online Casino Launches in West Virginia, Betly Casino Arrives in the Summer

Photo by Shutterstock/The American Explorer

WynnBet online casino and sports betting officially launched on June 22 in West Virginia, nearly two years after partnering with Delaware North to obtain market access. Meanwhile, Delaware North plans to launch its Betly Casino and Sportsbook app “this summer.”

That means Delaware North will have two sites operating on its retail casino license. Delaware North owns and operates the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack and Mardi Gras Casino and Resort in Nitro, near Charleston.

Six other online gambling sites are live in West Virginia on three other licenses:

• The Greenbrier: BetMGM, FanDuel, Golden Nugget
• Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races: DraftKings, PointsBet, Barstool
• Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort: BetRivers, Caesars

As far as what the 3-year-old online casino marketplace can sustain in the 1.8 million-resident state, bettors fond of that form of online gambling generated $11.6 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR) in May 2023.

WynnBet Casino and Sportsbook Is Live

West Virginians now have WynnBet Casino and Sportsbook. Only Michiganders and New Jerseyans can say the same.

WynnBet only offers sports betting in its other eight jurisdictions.

Regulated by the West Virginia Lottery Commission, the site offers online casino gamblers:

• classic casino games
• live dealer blackjack and roulette (streamed from Evolution‘s Philadelphia studio to West Virginia)
• video poker
• Keno

Online gamblers are also included in WynnBet’s and Wynn Resorts’ (Wynn Resorts 90,91 -0,64%) loyalty program, Wynn Rewards.

Betly Is a Different Beast

In 2021, Delaware North and Gaming1 formed a joint venture, Gamewise. In states where Delaware North has retail casinos, Gamewise is known as Betly Sportsbook.

Those states are:

• Arkansas
• Tennessee
• West Virginia (retail still available, online is temporarily shut down to “upgrade” to Betly Casino and Sportsbook)

In Ohio, Gamewise operates on the Miami Valley Gaming license brand MVGBet.

June 18 was “the final day of betting” on West Virginia’s Betly Sportsbook. Gamblers can view their betting histories and withdraw funds until July 31. After that, anyone with a balance of more than a penny will receive a mailed check.

That’s so Gamewise can launch Betly Casino and Sportsbook this summer:

This fresh casino and sports betting app will feature slots, table games, and sports betting with a single wallet.

Controversies Mentioning Delaware North, WynnBet

West Virginians aren’t getting a boring betting brand. Stories come along with Delaware North and WynnBet.

Shaq shows up on the WynnBet home page today, urging visitors to “Bet With the Best.” Shaquille O’Neal retired from the NBA as one of its best players, which is his primary claim to fame.

However, the WynnBet brand ambassador and strategic consultant was also a public face of the former crypto exchange FTX. He allegedly avoided being served a court summons for a lawsuit against the bankrupt business.

Coincidentally, FTX has another connection to online gambling. It was in talks to acquire Australia-based online gambling operator PlayUp. FTX backed out, spurring a lawsuit filed in 2021 against a former PlayUp leader.

PlayUp Sportsbook takes bets in Colorado and New Jersey. However, the brand recently lost the opportunity to launch in Ohio.

As for Delaware North, about 300 miles northeast of West Virginia lies Rochester, NY. There, a complicated matter is playing out involving the Seneca Nation of Indians, its plans for a Rochester casino, and the tribe’s trouble obtaining a new gaming compact with New York.

On June 21, Chav Vasilev wrote for Bonus:

When the Assembly failed to pass the [compact] bill, the Seneca Nation pointed the finger at the governor’s office. According to its members, the governor’s office did not involve local leaders. The tribe went further and accused Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul of misconduct. Hochul’s husband works for Delaware North, a company that runs Finger Lakes Gaming, a competitor casino. The governor had previously said she would take no part in the negotiations to avoid a conflict of interest.

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