West Virginia is set to welcome another operator to its legal iGaming and sports betting ecosystem next year. This new addition comes on the heels of a deal between VIP Play Inc. and Delaware North that will see the former launch in the Mountain State by the start of the 2025 collegiate football season.
VIP Play Inc., a renowned international gambling company will operate in West Virginia under the Wheeling Island Casino license owned by Delaware North. This partnership marks the company's second venture into the American market, following its successful launch in Tennessee in July 2023.
As part of the deal, VIP Play will offer both internet gaming and sports betting services to the West Virginian customer base. It will also bring its popular mobile app to the state when it debuts in the coming year. Interestingly, the Garden State will be the operator’s first legal online casino gaming market in the US.
"We appreciate Delaware North's access to the wonderful state of West Virginia,” Bruce Cassidy, VIP Play CEO and Chairman of the Board said.
“This is an ideal market for VIP Play, Inc. to expand into as part of our US expansion efforts. We welcome the addition of online casino – ‘iGaming’ – to our list of offerings within the US and are excited to bring the VIP Play mobile app to West Virginia residents and visitors in 2025.”
Included in the terms of the agreement is a clause that will require VIP Play to pay Delaware North an undisclosed share of its net gaming revenue during the subsistence of the deal.
Despite having a small population, West Virginia remains a hot prospect for companies looking to expand their gambling reach. The state has had a fully-operational legal sports betting market since 2018 and is one of only seven states where iGaming is legal across the country. So, it’s unsurprising that VIP Play is looking to pitch its tent there.
The operator would hope that it can make a foray into other US markets after securing a significant market share in West Virginia. However, the attainment of this goal will not come without significant competition.
Notably, online gambling laws in West Virginia allow license holders to partner with up to three brands or “skins.” With this new deal in the bag, VIP Play now becomes the second brand under Delaware North’s Wheeling Island license. The first is Betly, an online sportsbook provider that previously operated under the name “BetLucky” until a rebrand in September 2020.
Delaware North is a leading organization in the entertainment and hospitality industry with over half a billion customers across three continents. Beyond owning the Wheeling Island land-based sportsbook, the hospitality giant also runs the Mardi Gras Casino Resort and a sizable portfolio of casino resorts in seven other states.
Back in November, VIP Play penned a deal with Kambi Group to power its sportsbook growth in Tennessee. The effects of this partnership will ripple to customers in West Virginia when the VIP Play app goes live in the state. Particularly, the company will utilize Kambi's advanced Turnkey Sportsbook platform to deliver a cutting-edge, customized sports betting experience.
“This partnership with Kambi is a pivotal step for VIP Play, Inc. as we work towards establishing a premier sportsbook presence in the US,” Cassidy said in November. “Kambi’s market-leading technology, and our internal ability to build proprietary technology on top of the Kambi platform, will enable us to deliver a first-class, interactive sports betting experience and a mutually beneficial partnership for years to come.”
VIP Play will also be looking to replicate its success in Tennessee in its new market. The company operates under the ZenSports brand name in Tennessee, after acquiring the platform’s assets in 2022. Just recently, it launched Big Game Sweepstakes, an exclusive promotional offer for sports bettors in the Volunteer State.
For now, VIP Play Inc. will be awaiting regulatory approval from the West Virginia Lottery Commission and other relevant agencies. If all goes according to plan, it hopes to go live at the start of the college football season in 2025.