BetLucky Sportsbook went live on Dec. 30, 2018, and is the only book currently available in West Virginia.
Delaware North, a company that owns land-based gambling venues with newly launched sportsbooks – Wheeling Island Casino Hotel and Mardi Gras Casino and Resort — also owns BetLucky.
Mionmi software is the power behind BetLucky, the same software several Nevada-based sportsbooks use.
Mobile betting
BetLucky is a mobile sportsbook with no browser-based client and no desktop computer support.
The iOS app is available in the official iTunes Store. The Android counterpart is only downloadable directly from BetLucky’s servers because Google doesn’t host real-money gambling apps in its store.
The technical requirements are steep for a betting app. If you want to run the app on an Apple device, you need iOS 12 or better. The Android version requires a 7.0 operating system with OSV4.2. It is unclear whether Delaware North is planning to release a desktop app as the company hasn’t made an official announcement yet.
Sports and betting options
At launch, BetLucky had three sports options: football (both NFL and NCAA), basketball (NBA and NCAA) and hockey (NHL).
By February, this offer was expanded to cover most US sports, including baseball, golf, mixed martial arts, motorsports and tennis. Even though this was a massive improvement, international sports and non-sporting events are still missing from the mix, which might put BetLucky at a disadvantage when FanDuel and DraftKings sportsbooks become available to West Virginia residents.
Like most contemporary sportsbooks, BetLucky supports all standard bet types, including moneylines, parlays, point spreads, round robins and futures.
However, there’s nothing to distinguish this platform from the crowd, and the number of pregame markets for high-profile events is surprisingly low. Both FanDuel and DraftKings present their customers with dozens of pregame options, while BetLucky often only provides three or four.
Live, in-play betting
BetLucky features a decent in-play betting component, which suffers from a few notable shortcomings.
During most games, players should be able to bet on point spreads, outright winners, a few totals, and the half or quarter results. The only thing missing is sport-specific props, which is surprising as they’re quite popular in New Jersey and on offshore platforms. Although this shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for the profit-seeking punter, it’s something to keep in mind.
The absence of an early cash-out feature is a bigger problem. Early cash-outs allow bettors to secure their winnings or cut their losses before the end of the match. DraftKings Sportsbook is sure to offer it with the launch in West Virginia.
The BetLucky app also doesn’t facilitate video streaming, so tracking the situation on the field can get problematic if players don’t have access to a desktop computer or a TV.
Deposits and withdrawals
BetLucky only supports a few banking methods, but all of them are 100 percent reliable.
It handles credit and debit card payments via Lucky North Play+, so customers shouldn’t have to deal with banks that don’t want to do business with gambling companies. Players can also deposit funds at their local 7-Eleven convenience store, in person at the Wheeling Island Casino Hotel, or Mardi Gras Casino and Resort.
Cashing out is less convenient as players’ options are limited to requesting a check or visiting one of the aforementioned land-based gambling establishments.
Free bet and loyalty program
All new BetLucky customers are entitled to a $20 free bet, which is claimable upon placing the first wager. To use the free bet, players need to select the option “use bonus” on their next slip. If players don’t use the bonus within 28 days from activation, it will expire.
BetLucky also runs a loyalty program called Lucky North Club, which awards online sportsbook customers with loyalty points that are exchangeable for comps at the Wheeling Island Casino.
While this is a welcome addition to the site, the value players receive is unimpressive. Earning one point requires players to wager $10, and they need 100 points to claim $1 worth of comps.
Customer support
BetLucky’s customer support can be contacted via email at [email protected] or by phone at 866-807-4007. The BetLucky website also features an FAQ section, which is so short that it fits on a single page.
Typically, this would be inexcusable, but we’re willing to give BetLucky a pass as it’s a mobile-only product with no desktop interface. In this case, the website is more of an ad than a part of the service.
Conclusion
Despite some obvious flaws, BetLucky is a decent platform.
The software is well-designed, the odds are fair and all the available banking methods are 100 percent reliable, which we can’t say about many other US-facing gambling sites. Nevertheless, Delaware North needs to step up its game regarding promotions and available markets if it wants a shot at competing with larger operators such as FanDuel or DraftKings.
In this case, winning the license race simply won’t be enough.