West Virginia becomes the fifth U.S. state to legalise sports betting

On Thursday West Virginia became the fifth US state to legalise intrastate sports betting following the implementation of the enabling legislation, with the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races taking the first wagers.

State lawmakers earlier this year correctly anticipated that the restrictive federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act would be struck down by the US Supreme Court in May this year, and had made contingency arrangements which enabled rapid implementation.

Hollywood Casino’s sportsbook is powered by the US division of UK bookmaker William Hill, and is part of the Penn National Gaming group.

Although West Virginia licensing permits online and mobile operations, Hollywood has not yet launched these facilities, although it has revealed that there are plans for a mobile app in the near future.

Our readers will recall that the FanDuel Group-powered Greenbrier Resort sportsbook is also well advanced with its launch plan.

In the state of Mississippi, Thursday was launch day for the sportsbooks of two further land casino operators – Pearl River Resort and Island View Casino Resort.  They follow earlier launches in the state this month by Churchill Downs’ Riverwalk Casino and two land casino in the Caesars Entertainment group.

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