Regional casino operator Delaware North will link up with gaming technology provider Miomni to power its sports betting operations.
The partnership will first take shape in West Virginia sports betting as the companies launch at Delaware North’s Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras properties in Wheeling and Charleston, respectively. Those would become to third and fourth West Virginia sports betting operations to date when opened.
Originally scheduled for late September, those openings were pushed back last week without explanation. This announcement clears up those questions.
Luisa Woods, Delaware North vice president of marketing for gaming, said part of the delay stems from the company’s desire to launch its retail and mobile operations simultaneously. Woods would not commit to a specific start date, but said the West Virginia sports betting operations should start this fall.
“We’re working toward opening the sportsbooks as efficiently as possible while ensuring we deliver the customer experience that our patrons deserve,” Woods said.
Sports betting beyond West Virginia in the plans
The exclusive arrangement between Buffalo-based Delaware North and British company Miomni extends throughout the United States. Delaware North does not have the reach of gaming giants like MGM Resorts and Caesars, but its regional portfolio is strong.
The diverse company operates casinos in Arizona, New York, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia and Arkansas. That could present multiple opportunities for expansion as soon as next year.
New York’s efforts to bring widespread legal sports betting to the state are well-documented. Illinois will discuss plans for sports betting and other gaming expansions later this month. Ohio and Arkansas both have bills in the hopper that would bring legal sports betting to their states.
And the plans go beyond just their own sportsbooks
Delaware North andMiomni want to sell their combined expertise to other operators outside the major players. That appears to be the larger plan behind the deal.
Brian Hansberry is president of Delaware North’s gaming division, and provided a statement about the planned progression:
“Leaders in West Virginia were proactive in positioning the state for sports wagering, so Delaware North, with two casinos in West Virginia, is now very much part of a first wave of operators. We think that this unique positioning – combined with our professional sports relationships, our ownership and operation of TD Garden in Boston, and our significant hotel and restaurant holdings – will entice other casino companies to want to explore the opportunities this partnership can present them.”
Delaware North one of the few remaining dominoes
A summer wave of partnership deals involving MGM, Boyd Gaming, Eldorado, Penn National, and Churchill Downs left Delaware North’s status as one of the last question marks among larger operators.
Woods said Miomni provided three main advantages:
- Deep experience in delivering a mobile app to American audiences
- Investment in creating an interface that is as simple and streamlined as they can make it (reducing friction in downloading an app, registration, data sharing, and funding accounts)
- Very advanced geolocation technology, providing flexibility to microtarget audiences at specific locations
“There were a lot of different options available obviously and we just kept talking to partners until we found one we felt really got it,” Woods said.
Miomni powers the mobile apps for a host of Nevada sportsbooks. Its Silver State client list includes:
- Wynn
- Station Casinos
- Westgate
- Boyd
- Caesars
- Golden Nugget
- South Point
- Treasure Island
“Miomni is the chosen technology provider behind many of Nevada’s leading online sportsbooks because we designed the platform to be flexible, easy to use and reliable, with innovative features designed specifically to engage and entertain U.S. sports fans,” Miomni CEO Mike Venner said.
