Golden Nugget Online launched its sportsbook in Virginia, adding a ninth operator to an increasingly competitive mid-Atlantic market.
Golden Nugget will use Scientific Games’ OpenBet sports technology to power its online sports betting presence in Virginia as well as New Jersey.
The Virginia launch is a long-awaited one for Golden Nugget, which was approved in the Commonwealth way back in March alongside Barstool Sportsbook and Bally’s.
Since then, DraftKings acquired Golden Nugget Online Gaming in August for $1.6bn. The acquisition is expected to close in Q1 2022.
Golden Nugget enters Virginia at an ideal time – the return of the NFL and college football is expected to propel the state to record handle this fall.
Even in August, Virginia’s online sportsbooks managed to generate $182m in handle, a 12.7% improvement from July. Revenue for the month was $18m.
Virginia does not usually disclose sports betting figures by operator, but a scheduled state lottery board meeting this month will give a better look at where operators stand in terms of revenue and handle.
The launch of Golden Nugget’s online sportsbook in Virginia coincided with an announcement that the company will partner with Scientific Games for a sports betting and iGaming platform in neighboring West Virginia.
Thomas Winter, President, Golden Nugget Online Gaming, said: “Existing customers of Golden Nugget have truly embraced legalized sports betting and igaming since we first introduced our online offering.
He added, “Thanks to the continued support of Scientific Games and its modern OpenBet technology and OpenGaming platform, we are very excited to announce these launches. We know the robust and powerful capabilities that both solutions provide and are looking forward to delivering yet more unmissable betting and gaming experiences to even more players across the nation.”
Cathryn Lai, Chief Commercial Officer at OpenBet, said: “We are proud of our ongoing partnership with Golden Nugget, one of the world’s most recognizable brands in the casino space. We are equally honored that they continue to entrust OpenBet to power their digital and retail sportsbooks across multiple states.”
