Gaming Report: West Virginia Legalizes Online Poker & NHL Selects William Hill As Official Sports Betting Partner

GR Cover
  • Profile picture
  • Namita Ghosh March 29, 2019
  • 3 Minutes Read

In a significant new development in the U.S., the small mountain state of West Virginia has finally legalized online casinos and online poker! The Bill that envisages this – HB2934 had crossed the barriers of the House in February and the Senate in March and was just a step away from being approved after the Governor’s signature. With Gov. Jim Justice allowing the 15 days he had to sign or veto the Act to lapse, the Bill has automatically been deemed approved.

Even while the actual implementation of the Law’s provisions will take time, the U.S. National Hockey League (NHL) has roped in William Hill Plc as its official sports betting partner. The agreement benefits both, as while NHL will earn marketing revenue from William Hill, the UK-based bookmaker will use NHL branding in its advertising.

 

West Virginia Legalizes Online Casinos & Poker

Good news came in from the U.S. state of West Virginia that became the fifth state of the country to pass legislation regulating online casinos and online poker.

West Virginia

While the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, i.e., HB2934 was passed by the House in February, the Senate had subsequently approved and made amendments to the Bill on March 8. The House accepted the changes before sending the Bill to Governor Jim Justice who had 15 days to sign or veto the Act. After Justice let the veto deadline pass without action, HB2934 became the law.

Jason Barrett, president of Barrett Sports Media tweeted the news.

Before West Virginia joined the club, online casinos and online poker were legal only in the U.S states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Delaware.

 

The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act

West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act aka HB 2934 allows state’s five land-based casinos to apply for an online gambling license. These casinos are – Hollywood Casino, Mountaineer Casino, The Casino Club, Mardi Gras Casino and Resort, and Wheeling Island Hotel.

Only these casinos can legally operate an online casino in the Mountain state. They will now have to apply for permission to set up licensed sites to conduct internet gambling. For this, each operator will have to dish out $250,000 to obtain a five-year license, with subsequent five-year renewal possible for an additional $100,000. Online gaming will be taxed at 15%.

Apart from online poker, the to-be-licensed sites can now also legally offer other casino games like blackjack and slot games.

 

Future Possibilities For Online Poker in the State

While HB 2934 bill is now law, it will take time for the poker sites to set up and become operational for the residents of West Virginia, and 2020 may be when online poker launches in the state.

The opening of legalized online gambling and poker in West Virginia that is one of the small states in the U.S. with a population under 2 Million and is also counted among the ten poorest states in the country, to online poker and online casinos will give the state’s revenues a big push.

According to USBets, the state’s entire online gambling market could be worth $40 Million, and poker representing only a fraction of this. Despite the tall predictions, it’s not clear whether the state can support a big online poker market on its own. It will undoubtedly have to rely on entering the multi-state online player pool that currently includes Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey.

While the legalization of online poker is a step forward for the state, with the U.S. Department of Justice’ (DOJ) re-interpretation of the Wire Act 1961 looming overhead, whether online poker will eventually launch in West Virginia remains to be seen.

 

NHL Selects William Hill As Official Sports Betting Partner

The U.S. National Hockey League (NHL) has announced the country division of UK bookmaker William Hill Plc as its official sports betting partner. As part of the agreement, the NHL will derive marketing revenue from William Hill, and the latter will be able to use NHL branding in its advertising.

NHL-William Hill

The league announced the deal with William Hill last Thursday, shortly after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s address at a sports gambling summit held by the casino-industry trade group, American Gaming Association. Bettman has in the past, staunchly defended the federal law that limited single-game sports betting to Nevada, but changed his stance after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the law last May.

“Once the Supreme Court ruled, you’ve got to get with the program. You have to evolve, you have to innovate and you have to be relevant,” Bettman said, adding “Betting on NHL games has increased 38% during the 2018-19 season at William Hill’s Nevada Sports Books.”

This is the third partnership with a gambling operator for NHL in six months. NHL has also partnered with MGM Resorts International and FanDuel Group.

Talking about the partnership, CEO of William Hill U.S., Joe Asher said, “We are thrilled to become an official sports betting partner of the National Hockey League. Commissioner Bettman and his team at the NHL have been at the forefront of understanding the opportunities to engage fans through sports betting. Combined with our existing partnerships with the Vegas Golden Knights and New Jersey Devils, we are extremely excited to continue to build our relationship with the NHL.”

William Hill already runs sports books in New Jersey, Nevada, West Virginia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The deal will allow the company to advertise at arenas and on the league’s online and mobile platforms.

However, William Hill has till date, not agreed to pay the NHL for access to its proprietary data. The NHL is currently developing a system for tracking player and puck movement through microchips worn by players and embedded in the pucks.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Top Online Poker Rooms

Top
PokerGuru