Dismissing Miomni: Delaware North Parting Ways with WV Sports Betting Partner

The situation involving the suspended West Virginia sportsbooks took another interesting turn on Friday.

Delaware North, the operator of Mardi Gras Casino Sportsbook and Wheeling Island Sportsbook, announced it was cutting ties with its mobile betting partner, Miomni Gaming.

The company partnered with Miomni to bring sports betting to West Virginia at its sportsbooks and to BetLucky Sportsbook, the only sports betting app in WV.

However, the live sportsbook betting windows closed in early-March and haven’t reopened.

Delaware North now is looking to move on and regain its betting customers.

Miomni kicked to the curb

After mostly keeping quiet on the issue, a letter from Delaware North to the West Virginia Lottery obtained by Legal Sports Report through the Freedom of Information Act revealed some insight.  

Primarily, the letter states the shutdown was due to an intellectual property disagreement between Miomni and Entergaming, a European software firm.

The timing couldn’t have been worse with March Madness underway, and the scenario has been a setback for the state. On Friday, Delaware North released a statement about its decision to separate from its partner.

“We have notified the West Virginia Lottery Commission that Delaware North is taking steps to terminate its partnership with Miomni Gaming, our management services provider in West Virginia.

“Since March 6, Miomni’s contract dispute with third-party technology supplier Entergaming has resulted in our inability to accept new sports wagers at our Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras casino sports-betting operations as well as via the BetLucky.com mobile app.”

Delaware North needs a new WV sports betting partner

The shutdown has had a major impact on wagering handle in the state. After the shutdown, handle dipped below $3 million for the week ending March 16, the first time since November. 

Regaining traction and bettors may not be a quick fix. DraftKings is awaiting regulatory approval and Delaware North is seeking other partners. But neither of those events appears imminent.

“We are evaluating all options to once again provide sports wagering services, and we want our customers to know that identifying and implementing a solution could take several months or longer,” Delaware North noted in its statement.

Del. Shawn Fluharty (D) has been a critic of the situation and is pleased to see movement by the company.

Make room for online casinos in West Virginia

The sports betting situation may have been frustrating, but West Virginia gamblers received good some news last week. Gov. Jim Justice allowed online gambling to become law without his signature.

West Virginia online casinos will likely include:

• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Craps
• Slots

As a result, more operators may be interested in sports betting now that more mobile gambling options are allowed. The lottery commission will regulate online operators as well as sports betting.

FanDuel operates the sportsbook at Greenbrier and William Hill operates Mountaineer Sportsbook and Hollywood Casino Sportsbook. Additionally, DraftKings Sportsbook inked a deal with Hollywood Casino to bring an online sportsbook to the Mountain State.

Launching online sports betting in West Virginia and other gaming options seem likely.

BetLucky support available for bettors

Delaware North offered some information to those in the state holding online and paper betting slips. The company is making good on those bets as it searches for other sports betting options.

“We are continuing to honor and redeem all resulted bets and providing our customers with detailed information about how they can access their accounts and withdraw their funds.”

Those holding winning wagers need to email the casino for support or call 1-866-807-4007.

Now restoring its market share and the trust of bettors may not be easy, but Delaware North offered a mea culpa.

“Once again, we sincerely apologize for this inconvenience. We remain committed to our customers and plan to offer sports betting again in the near future.”