In August, college football helped West Virginia sportsbooks’ monthly handle jump 36%

College football returned at the end of August and that helped West Virginia sportsbooks make a late push. Their handle and revenue increased last month compared to their figures in July. For the fifth consecutive month, sports betting operators increased the run of double-digit holds in West Virginia. Additionally, the Mountaineer State hit a top-five all-time high with 14% in August 2024. The West Virginia Lottery reported an August handle of $28.4 million and a 42.7% year-over-year increase which was up 35.9% compared to July. West Virginia’s revenue of $4.1 million brought their yearly total to over $30 million. Up 78.3% from August 2023 while month-over-month profits increased 46.4%.

Online sports betting in West Virginia accounted for $25.1 million of the total handle and $3.4 million in operator revenue. In August, online operators collectively generated $19.7 million in revenue. That was their fifth straight month with growth. The $19.7 million is slightly below their all-time high of $20 million set this past March. With college football and the NFL back in September, that number is expected to be broken. Compared to figures in August 2023, online operators’ revenue was up a whopping 75%.

West Virginia saw a ton of action placed on collegiate games in August

In the Mountaineer State, they’re highly reliant on wagers placed on collegiate athletic competitions. From Week 0 in college football and Week 1 of the NFL season, West Virginia saw increased action. Their handle jumped more than $3 million from the first week to the final week of August. The five retail sportsbooks across the state took in a combined $3.3 million in wagers. That was up $1.3 million compared to their figures in July. At the Greenbrier, wagering jumped from $23,000 before college football started to $225,000 in the first week. That’s a $200,000 change in less than a month. Online and retail sportsbooks combined for a hold of over 14% in August, up from 13.2% in July 2024. Charles Town Casino partners online with DraftKings, ESPN BET, and Fanatics Sportsbook. In August, the trio led the West Virginia operator with a handle of $11.8 million. That was up from the $8.4 million they saw in July. A 14% hold was good enough for $1.7 million in revenue.