iGaming research in West Virginia: PhD findings on betting patterns

Matt Mullis, a doctoral researcher at the West Virginia University Center for Gaming Research and Development, is analysing state transactional data authorised by the Responsible Gaming Research and Industry Development Act of 2024; with those data he has identified that the average wager on mobile slots in the state is $1, and that one operator recorded 43 million slot wagers in a month placed by roughly 16 000 players. Mullis has also linked demand spikes at Hot Spot machines to Social Security payments, which are processed on the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of the month.

iGaming research West Virginia: legal data access and scope

The Responsible Gaming Research and Industry Development Act, passed by the state legislature in 2024, authorises West Virginia University to analyse transactional data for all gambling activity in the state in collaboration with the State Lottery Commission. That access underpins the work of WVU's Center for Gaming Research and Development.

The center obtains transaction-level data and, in some cases, machine-level data: Mullis reports the team could tell how much a video lottery terminal collected on a given day for 2024–2025. That granularity allows comparison of behaviour across products — from video lottery terminals to sports betting and [mobile casinos](/casino) — and raises questions that could not previously be addressed with lab experiments or surveys.

Behavioral findings: microbets, whales and chasing losses

Mullis has quantified concrete phenomena. The average bet on mobile slots in West Virginia is USD 1. In one case, an operator recorded 43 000 000 slot wagers in a month from about 16 000 players. In the same dataset, 25% of mobile bettors placed more than 1 000 wagers in a month.

The researcher also identifies a small number of players who act as "whales": they deposit hundreds of dollars into their iGaming accounts almost daily. Mullis uses those patterns to attempt to distinguish motives for play and to detect behaviours that could signal risk, for example:

• refunding an account three times within one hour;

• wagering one thousand dollars in 30 minutes;

• a sustained increase in wager size following a run of small losses (chasing losses).

Mullis has observed temporal correlations between the arrival of Social Security payments and increased activity at Hot Spot machines, suggesting some of that transfer income is channelled to gambling at the moment payments are received.

"Our job is to observe changing behaviour in this new market," Mullis said, adding that despite exceptional data access, “it is difficult to identify certain effects and to understand people’s intentions.”

Tax implications and market: Hot Spots versus iGaming

Mullis can compare products. He estimates a Hot Spot machine in West Virginia brings in, before taxes, about USD 1 000 per day. The state taxes that Hot Spot take at around 50%, versus the roughly 10% tax applied to iGaming revenue. Those tax differences raise questions about how the growing popularity of online gambling may affect physical machine takings and the state tax structure.

Methods and origin of the research

Detailed data access began after a question from Brad Humphreys, director of the Center for Gambling Research and Mullis’s co-advisor, who showed a Urban Economics class daily machine-level data for 2024–2025. Mullis recalled that when he proposed researching the link between major sporting events and slot use, the professor replied, “All right, let's find out,” and since then Mullis has worked with massive monthly datasets that enable analysis outside the laboratory.

Mullis notes that previously evidence on betting behaviour came from lab experiments or surveys with limited sample sizes and environment bias. Real transactional data provided by the state allow observation of real-world effects, such as reduced slot use when local college or professional teams play (for example, WVU or the Pittsburgh Steelers).

Risks, prevention and technological applications

The center explores practical applications arising from detected patterns. Mullis suggests iGaming platforms could implement automated risk-behaviour indicators — for example, frequent refunds or large short-term bet increases — that trigger forced pauses in the app. The idea is not a finished solution; it is a possibility that emerges from granular activity analysis and may be used by operators or regulators.

Mullis conducts field research: he occasionally opens apps such as Caesar Sports and places small bets, and notes that large operators like DraftKings and FanDuel facilitate bank-account linking and offer "Free Bet" promotions that incentivise initial engagement.

Broader context: marketing, popularity and moral questions

Legalisation and the expansion of sports betting and mobile gaming in the US are driving volume. Mullis cites the record betting expected around the 2026 World Cup and heavy advertising during sports broadcasts — one study showed an average of 3.5 gambling mentions per minute in NHL coverage — as factors increasing exposure.

Mullis reminds readers gambling has more than 4 000 years of history, but current distribution and marketing models are new. He also notes the moral paradox: state lotteries, including the West Virginia Lottery, raise millions for infrastructure and social programmes while often involving people who cannot afford losses.

The work of the West Virginia University Center for Gaming Research and Development aims to provide evidence to understand risks and design consumer-protection measures, supported by data never before available to academic research.