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Sports betting debuts in W.Va.

CHARLES TOWN (AP) — Sports betting has debuted in West Virginia, just in time for college football season.

West Virginia Lottery general managing counsel Danielle Boyd says in an email the first legal wager was accepted Thursday at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. She says it’s the first sports book to begin operations in West Virginia.

While the casino’s sports book has a larger-scale debut scheduled for Saturday, Boyd says it is “officially open.”

Lawmakers earlier this year approved sports betting at the state’s five casinos and on certain mobile apps, shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal law banning most sports betting. The state Lottery Commission later approved applicable rules.

Hollywood Casino’s sports book is operated by William Hill US. Charles Town Races is owned by Penn National Gaming Inc.

The Legislature passed the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act on March 3 in anticipation of a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing sports betting. That decision came in May, giving West Virginia a head start for implementing sports betting ahead of surrounding states.

The commission released emergency rules for sports betting on July 9 to allow the state’s five casinos to set up sports betting in time for football season. The commission filed rules for a 30-day public comment period which ends Sept. 9.

The Sports Wagering Act empower Lottery to “establish and approve minimum internal control standards proposed by licensed operators for administration of sports wagering operations, wagering equipment and systems, or other items used to conduct sports wagering, as well as maintenance of financial records and other required records.”

West Virginia’s internal minimum control standards were based closely on standards in place in New Jersey and Nevada, which already has decades of experience with sports betting.

Other casinos could be set up for sports betting over the next 30 to 60 days.

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