VIP Play, the “experienced mobile gambling operator” behind Tennessee’s online sportsbook ZenSports, is expanding to West Virginia after the state approved its interim license.
Notably, the regulatory approval covers sports betting and online casino-managed services and follows VIP’s market access partnership with Delaware North’s Wheeling Island Casino.
According to the media release, the milestone marks the company’s first expansion beyond Tennessee, where it operates sports wagering through its ZenSports platform. In West Virginia, VIP’s interim license also allows the company to “participate in the rapidly expanding i-Gaming industry” by offering online casino gaming. VIP Play expects to launch for West Virginia customers “in the coming months.”
Bruce Cassidy, VIP Play’s CEO & chairman of the board, said:
The acquisition of our interim Sports Wagering and i-Gaming License in West Virginia marks a significant milestone in our journey to expand, underscoring our commitment to provide innovative experiences to a wider audience. As we grow our presence, our dedication to excellence stands firm, and we’re excited to play a role in enriching West Virginia’s dynamic gaming community.
Bonus contacted Cassidy and Robert Kowalski (general manager of sportsbook operations) for more information about VIP’s West Virginia sportsbook and online casino plans. We did not receive an immediate response.
Peer-to-peer plans appear on hold
Formerly known as KeyStar Corp, VIP touts its history of sports betting innovation in this latest announcement. The company explicitly referenced its VIP Players Club Sweepstakes, a March-only sweepstakes-style promotion exclusive to Tennessee sports bettors.
Notably, the draw to select the winners of the 20 smaller prizes and the contest’s single grand prize will take place on April 3.
ZenSports first launched in Tennessee in June 2023 after receiving its license from the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council (TSWC) in May of the same year.
When it launched, its mobile sports betting platform offered only a traditional sports book that pits players against the house. Later, with approval, the company planned to launch a unique peer-to-peer sports betting marketplace alongside its regular sportsbook.
Once approved, the company said customers could create bets, odds, and terms through the innovative peer-to-peer service. Players could then share those bets with friends or directly from their phones via the mobile app’s two-sided marketplace. However, there is no evidence that ZenSports’ peer-to-peer betting ever received TSWC approval, and it doesn’t appear to be up and running.
With the sudden rise of sports trading on prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, peer-to-peer exchanges are gaining considerable attention.
Regulatory hiccup prompted Tennessee fine
Last year, TSWC scrutinized ZenSports over a regulatory failure resulting in a $60,000 fine.
The regulator found that the operator’s reserve account was short of cash required to cover winning sportsbook bets.
At the time, ZenSports chief compliance officer Eddie Ponce said while regrettable, the company had since rectified the situation.
We added staff to our finance area, and now they’re manually reviewing on a daily basis … regrettably, we didn’t have that in place. We’ve reinvested more into that area, and we’re incredibly confident it will not happen again, so I can assure you, you will not be seeing us on this issue in the future.
Still, due to the uncertainty of the situation, Tennessee only renewed the operator’s license conditionally. ZenSports had to complete a TSWC audit as part of that conditional approval. Bonus tried to confirm if the audit has been completed or is still underway but received no response.
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