Wazdan Gets West Virginia Online Gaming License from State Lottery

The West Virginia online gaming options have grown by one.

Wazdan, a company based in Malta but expanding its North American operations, received approval late last week for a license from the West Virginia Lottery to operate in the state.

The operator is joining four others in offering online casino games in the Mountain State.

Wazdan made its American debut in New Jersey online gaming earlier this year.

The company can soon start offering online casino West Virginia gaming options, including popular titles such as Lucky Reels, Relic Hunters and Space Spins.

Wazdan CEO Eager for West Virginia

“The U.S. market continues to hit incredible heights and it’s a market we’ve already enjoyed some success in,” Wazdan CEO Michal Imiolek said in a company news release. ”Gaining our West Virginia licence is an important milestone for us, and we’re extremely eager to see what we can accomplish in the state.

“With so much more on the horizon for us in North America, it is a hugely exciting time for Wazdan, and we look forward to achieving even more in the U.S.”

Wazdan is also going through the process of getting licensed for Michigan online gaming as well as one for operating online casino gaming in Pennsylvania.

West Virginia Online Gaming Timeline

The online market in West Virginia opened in July 2020 when DraftKings online casino opened in the state.

That made West Virginia the fourth state to have online gaming, after Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Since then, BetMGM, BetRivers and WynnBET have also joined in to offer online casino real money gaming in West Virginia.

Each company has a brick-and-mortar casino that it partners with. BetMGM online casino, which joined with noted online slot maker NetEnt in the state, is partnered with the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs. DraftKings is partnered with the Hollywood Casino in WV at Charles Town.

The first new entrant onto the West Virginia online gaming scene in 2021 was BetRivers Casino, the flagship brand of Rush Street Interactive. Folks in the state can play BetRivers games thanks to a partnership with Mountaineer Park.

And just this month, WynnBET online casino added its name to the statewide competition, teaming with Delaware North, which has two gaming venues in the state: Wheeling Island Hotel and Racetrack in Wheeling and Mardi Gras Casino and Resort near Charleston, in the town of Nitro.

West Virginia Online Gaming and Sports Betting in October

West Virginia online gaming had a handle of $197.8 million in October, a 14.8% decline from the $232.1 million in action recorded for September. But the iGaming handle rose in October to $6.4 million; that was 4.3% higher than the $6.2 million in September.

Sports betting has been on the rise in the state as well. The total sports betting handle for October in West Virginia was $61.7 million, up 2.7% compared to $60.1 million in September.