Tag: west virginia sports betting
Virginia Sports Betting Bill Filed Ahead of 2019 Session
The post Virginia Sports Betting Bill Filed Ahead of 2019 Session appeared first on SportsHandle.
Virginia on Tuesday became the latest state to make an earnest move toward legalizing sports betting in 2019 when Delegate Mark Sickles (D-District 43) prefiled HB 1638 ahead of the opening of the legislative session on Jan. 9, 2019. The bill, which will be referred to committee for discussion, calls for a 15 percent tax rate on sports betting adjusted gross revenue, and a $250,000 licensing fee. There is no mention of a “royalty” or “integrity fee” to be paid to the professional sports leagues.
Lawmakers in Tennessee and Kentucky have also prefiled bills ahead of their sessions and several other states, including Michigan, Maryland and Massachusetts have publicly discussed sports betting recently.
Since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May, seven states states outside of Nevada have either legalized or seen its authorized licensees begin accepting sports bets. Although Virginia is very much not a gaming state as casinos are prohibited by law, apparently sports betting may be on the table.
Read more Virginia Sports Betting Bill Filed Ahead of 2019 Session on SportsHandle.
Pro Sports Leagues Continue Full-Court Press on West Virginia Sports Betting Law
The post Pro Sports Leagues Continue Full-Court Press on West Virginia Sports Betting Law appeared first on SportsHandle.
What’s going on in West Virginia? Sports betting kicked off with a bang a the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races late last month, and just last week, the FanDuel Sportsbook at The Greenbrier Resort took its first bet. In between, the state’s lottery director inexplicably resigned and now the lottery’s managing general counsel, Danielle Boyd, isn’t immediately responding to inquiries.
And on Monday, acting lottery director Doug Buffington went before the Standing Joint Committee on Finance and fielded questions about the implementation the state’s sports betting law. The lottery rolled out “emergency rules” in order to allow the casinos to open their sportsbooks, but those rules were open to public comment and the lottery must address concerns. The public-comment period ended Sept. 7 and the lottery has yet to respond.
In fact, should it respond in the near future, it will do so without its long-time leader, Alan Harrick, who resigned unexpectedly and Boyd, who has reportedly been forced out of her position by the governor’s office.
Read more Pro Sports Leagues Continue Full-Court Press on West Virginia Sports Betting Law on SportsHandle.
The Greenbrier’s FanDuel Sportsbook Opens Ahead of NFL Week 2
The post The Greenbrier’s FanDuel Sportsbook Opens Ahead of NFL Week 2 appeared first on SportsHandle.
West Virginia’s second legal sportsbook opened on Thursday when the the FanDuel Sportsbook at the The Greenbrier Resort and Casino took its first sports bet. The Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races opened Aug. 30. The timing means the sportsbook is open in time for the second weekend of the NFL season. The Greenbrier is a unique circumstance in that is the only private membership-only casino in the U.S. Only members and resort guests can enter the casino.
The Greenbrier, one of the most storied resorts in America, has long offered casino gaming at its Casino Club, a posh, high-end gaming venue. The FanDuel Sportsbook is more of the same with club chairs and 21 large-screen televisions. According to the sportsbook’s webpage, it will offer international dining options as well as live entertainment. Patrons are required to wear coats (men) and dresses (women) in the casino after 7 p.m.
Membership to the Casino Club is available through a membership to The Greenbrier Golf and Tennis Club, which costs $1,590 annually, by purchasing a home in The Greenbrier Sporting Club, or to registered hotel guests and, in some cases, convention attendees. The Casino Club opened in 2010.
Read more of The Greenbrier’s FanDuel Sportsbook Opens Ahead of NFL Week 2 on SportsHandle.
WV Lottery Director Resigns Day After WV Sports Betting Starts
The post WV Lottery Director Resigns Day After WV Sports Betting Starts appeared first on SportsHandle.
West Virginia Lottery Director Alan Larrick submitted his resignation on Friday, a day after the Mountaineer State ushered in the era of legal sports betting. According to a press release from governor Jim Justice’s office and multiple media reports, no reason was given for Larrick’s resignation. In a second press release, Justice announced that Doug Buffington, the deputy secretary for the West Virginia Secretary of Revenue, will be acting lottery director. The lottery oversees sports betting in West Virginia and the agency developed the state’s sports betting regulatory structure.
“After the successful launch of sports gaming at the Hollywood Casino in Charles Town (Thursday), Alan Larrick informed Gov. Jim Justice that he would step down as the director of the West Virginia Lottery effective Sept. 1, 2018,” read the release.
The post WV Lottery Director Resigns Day After WV Sports Betting Starts appeared first on SportsHandle.
West Virginia Ready for the Crush of Sports Betting’s Opening Weekend
Whether it’s been hiring and training new employees, testing software or making everything “just so,” it’s been a busy few weeks at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. The casino is set to be the first in West Virginia to open for sports betting. The sportsbook will open Saturday, the first day of the first full weekend of the college football season.
NFL legend Joe Theismann will place the state’s first bet, following in the footsteps of Dr. J in New Jersey and Willis McGahee in Mississippi. The plan is for an “opening ceremony” at the sportsbook at 11 a.m., followed by the first bet.
We are proud to announce the grand opening of The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on Saturday, Sept. 1. Former professional football player, Joe Theismann, will join us in the festivities that day! @Theismann7 @HollywoodCCTR pic.twitter.com/VMvpzDoHF0
— Hollywood Casino Charles Town Races (@HollywoodCCTR) August 22, 2018
The goal had been for all five of West Virginia’s sportsbooks to open simultaneously, but only the Hollywood Casino is ready and as such will go down in the history books as accepting the first legal sports bet in the history of the Mountaineer State.
First Weekend of WV Sports Betting Promises to Be Hectic. William Hill Will Operate WV’s First Sportsbook at the Hollywood Casino.
West Virginia becomes the fourth state since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May to open for sports betting. Delaware was the first in mid-June, followed by New Jersey and Mississippi. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island also have legal sports betting. Pennsylvania approved its temporary regulations earlier this month, and has yet to approve any sports betting licenses, while Rhode Island sportsbooks are expected to open for business later this fall.
The Hollywood Casino is a Penn National-owned casino/resort that is joining forces with William Hill to operate the fully regulated sports betting market under the auspices of the West Virginia Lottery.
The sportsbook will feature nine betting stations and dozens of wide-screen televisions. The race to open has been frenzied and exciting.
“I can’t tell you how many calls and questions I’ve gotten about the sportsbook, when it’s going to open,” Erich Zimny, vice president for racing and sporting operations at Hollywood, told the Charleston Gazette-Mail earlier this week. “It’s nice to have this amount of buzz and excitement going on.”
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West Virginia Ready for the Crush of Sports Betting’s Opening Weekend