Fantasy sports provider turned sports betting operator DraftKings, is on the verge of launching its sports betting app in West Virginia.
According to a report from WV Metro News, regulatory testing for the DraftKings Sportsbook app was completed on Wednesday.
The local news outlet quoted the Director of the West Virginia Lottery, John Myers as saying: “We were making sure we can get the reports out of it that we need. Making sure that we can verify the player that has the account is the one playing and to make sure the geo-location system works and those people are actually located inside the state of West Virginia.”
Not only is this a chance for DraftKings to expands its presence in the US betting market, it will bring mobile sports betting back to the Mountain State
Mobile betting in WV
Although mobile betting is legal in West Virginia, there are currently no mobile betting options for punters in the state.
In March, casino operator Delaware North suspended its online sports betting platform BetLucky.com due to a “contract dispute” with third-party technology supplier, Miomni Gaming.
In April, Delaware North issued a statement announcing it had filed a lawsuit against Miomni Gaming.
According to the Delaware North Press release: “Miomni Gaming and its chief executive officer fraudulently misrepresented its ownership of a key part of the BetLucky sports-wagering platform and breached the companies’ joint-venture contract.”
As a result of the lawsuit, West Virginians have been left without a mobile betting option.
More sports betting apps coming to WV
DraftKings may not be the only mobile betting option for punters in the Mountain State in the coming weeks.
Towards the end of April, the West Virginia Lottery issued five one-year licenses for mobile sports betting in West Virginia.
DraftKings rival, FanDuel and sports betting giant William Hill were among the companies that received a license for mobile betting.
The West Virginia Lottery expects the DraftKings app to roll out via a soft-launch next week.
