GeoComply lands first sports betting licence in West Virginia

GeoComply has become the first company to secure an interim sports betting licence in West Virginia as the US state closes in on full regulation.

The new licence will enable GeoComply to provide its geolocation compliance solution to help online gambling operators ensure they are only taking wagers from consumers located in the state.

West Virginia is yet to legalise sports betting and the interim licence will require full approval from the West Virginia Lottery.

Danielle Boyd, managing general counsel for the West Virginia Lottery, said the state hopes to go live with a regulated service before the start of the 2018 NFL American football season in September.

“With the recent repeal of PASPA, we have set a very aggressive timeline for introducing sports wagering in the state, and are happy to have GeoComply show its readiness to support our launch in time for the new NFL season,” Boyd said.

David Briggs, chief executive of GeoComply, paid tribute to the state’s “proactive” approach to regulating sports betting.

“We are grateful for the support they have shown us in the licensing process,” he said.

“We are now ready to supply compliance-grade geolocation solutions to the local operators and partners in West Virginia to get online sports wagering up and running in the state.”

Although GeoComply may be the first company to officially obtain a licence in the state, a number of other gambling firms are set to join them in West Virginia.

Earlier this month, William Hill revealed that it had entered into a sports betting partnership with a “soon-to-be-announced” casino in West Virginia. The firm will offer retail, mobile and online as part of the deal.

Paddy Power Betfair-owned FanDuel has also struck up a deal to provide sports betting services to the Greenbrier resort in the state.

Elsewhere, Kambi has said that it is working towards a licence in West Virginia, as well as in Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.