Online Gambling in West Virginia (2023)

Gambling in West Virginia

West Virginia has a reputation as one of the most conservative states in America, but it also has a thriving gambling industry. The mountain state legalized land-based casinos in 2007, making gambling a legal gaming activity. It continued to shock the world in 2018 when lawmakers passed the WV Lottery Sports Wagering Act, and West Virginia became the fourth American state with legal sports betting regulations.

This conservative mountain state is one of the few states where you can legally access online poker, casinos, and sportsbooks. Since 2018, gambling has expanded in the mountain state, especially after the WV Lottery Interactive Wagering Act 2019 made all online gambling activities legal. This review covers everything you need to know about legal gambling in West Virginia and its unregulated online gambling.

Passing HB 2934 began the complete transition for the gambling industry in West Virginia. While on-site casinos have been active in the state before 2010, 2018 opened West Virginia to the wealth of online gaming.

There are currently five land-based casinos in West Virginia, and they are constantly developing to build a thriving gambling industry in the state. Here is a review of the gambling activities that you can enjoy within the West Virginian borders.

Sports Betting in West Virginia

As one of the first states to legislate on sports betting after the Supreme Court overruled the PASPA Act, West Virginia is leagues ahead of other states in the sports betting space.

The state has been open to sports betting wagers since August 2018, and all the casinos in West Virginia bow offer sportsbook facilities. You can wager on horse races, dog races, or any other legal sport that catches your fantasy.

West Virginia was one of the five states to join New Jersey in their fight against the PASPA Act, and the two-year battle before the Supreme Court overrules the Act only pent up the anticipation for sportsbooks in the state. West Virginia now has one of the largest sports betting industries in the country, and its online sportsbooks are responsible for most of this enterprise.

Casino in West Virginia

The Mountain State has a well-vested interest in casinos. Casinos have been in West Virginia longer than sportsbooks and slots have been around for even longer.

The five casinos in the State offer thousands of slot machines and several hundred table games. Gaming has become one of the most popular activities in the State. You can find gaming cafes in almost every community, and The West Virginia Lottery Commission regulates all of them.

Online casinos became legal in West Virginia on the 27th of March 2019. Still, they did not launch until July 2020 because the state needed to put gaming structures in place to accommodate online casinos and sports betting in the state.

West Virginia also has four active online casinos, and they offer the best gaming and winning opportunities to users.

The online casinos are also in partnership with land-based casinos giving room for users to enjoy retail and online gambling. We are expecting more operators in the state as West Virginia regulations allow up to 15 online casinos.

Poker in West Virginia

The demand for poker games in West Virginia is almost alarming. Most gaming cafes in the State are predominantly for video poker. What started as illegal gambling is one of the most thriving industries in West Virginia because it is as rewarding as it is entertaining. The land-based casinos in the State offer video poker with their other lottery and wagering options.

While West Virginia has a thriving land-based poker industry, online Poker is yet to take root in the state. HB 2934 made online poker legal in the state, but there are no regulated online poker sites. Some offshore platforms like PartyPoker and PokerStars are making waves in West Virginia.

Lottery in West Virginia

Lottery and Slots have been active in West Virginia since 1986. The State Lottery Commission regulates Lotteries and gives gaming access to 18-year-olds and older players despite the stipulated 21-year-old restrictions on gambling activities in the state.

West Virginia had one of the most significant winning records in America in 2002 when Andrew Whittaker won over $300 million from the Lottery in West Virginia.

Gambling Laws in West Virginia

While casinos and sportsbooks were not legal in West Virginia until 2007 and 2018, citizens have been placing wagers in the mountain state since the 20th Century. The State started Lottery services in 1986 and soon made provisions for racetracks to install slots machines.

Gaming laws in West Virginia have evolved to adapt modern gaming options like sports betting, casinos, poker, and lottery and even became one of the first states to adopt Online Gambling and Daily Fantasy Sports. Here are the legislations that regulate sports betting in West Virginia:

SB 415 WV Lottery Sports Wagering Act

Sports betting became legal in West Virginia after the Legislature generated enough bipartisan support to pass the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act without the governor’s signature. The Act gave the State Lottery Commission power to grant sportsbook licenses and create emergency rules as fit.

According to the Act, the Lottery Commission could promulgate emergency rules to set up sports betting systems before the 1st of December, 2018. The Commission also had the power to regulate the activities of the licensed operators and sanction or close illegal outfits.

WV Lottery Interactive Wagering Act 2019

In March 2019, both House of Legislation in West Virginia passed HB 2934 into Law and made online gambling legal. The Act took effect in June 2019, and DraftKings became the first legal online casino in West Virginia.

While HB 2934 makes online casinos legal in the State, it does not have provisions on how the Lottery Commission should regulate them. This implies that online casinos are legal in West Virginia and have free reins on their operations.

West Virginia Lottery Commission

The Lottery Commission was established in 1985 to regulate lottery operations in West Virginia and advise the Director or Lottery. The Commission consists of seven members picked across diverse professions with balanced professional and political representations.

At least two Commission members must be representatives of the general public without any professional or political ties, just regular citizens of West Virginia.

Legal Online Sportsbooks in West Virginia

Between the conservative reputation of West Virginia and the relative youth of its sports betting industry, the state currently has six legal sports betting operators, and they provide the most rewarding gaming option:

Draftkings Sportsbook West Virginia

While DraftKings was the first online casino in West Virginia, they were not privileged to be the first online sportsbook. However, the SB Tech platform is one of the favorite sportsbooks in the state. Draftkings partnership with Penn Gaming and their land-based casino, Hollywood Gaming has proven to be a rewarding venture for both operators and their users in West Virginia.

FanDuel Sportsbook West Virginia

As the first operator in West Virginia’s online sports betting scene, FanDuel has maintained a position of entertainment and rewarding gaming to bettors in the State. By choosing Greenbrier as its on-site casino partner in West Virginia, FanDuel Sportsbook WV made Greenbrier the most desired casino.

A huge welcome bonus, intuitive interface, multiple payment options, and many more features make Fanduel a preferred choice. 

BetMGM Sports West Virginia

MGM is a renowned brand in entertainment, and they did not disappoint their West Virginia customers. The brand built a commendable interface and added features and promos to entice users. The BetMGM Sports platform includes free odds boosts and risk-free bets for their first-time users.

If you are interested in frequent promos, an interactive UI, incredible customer protection, sign up with BetMGM.

Caesars Sportsbook WV

While it is only a rebrand of the William Hill Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook in West Virginia is every inch the royalty you expect from Caesars entertainment. It comes with the regular Caesars Rewards and an exciting partnership with the Mountaineer Casino and Resort.

Caesars has great reward structures, excellent betting options, and great customer support services to make your gambling adventure worthwhile.

Legal Online Casinos in West Virginia

In July 2020, West Virginia became the fourth state to provide online casino options to its citizens. Gamblers in the Mountain State now have access to four online casinos and their rich gaming options.

DraftKings Casino

As the first legal online casino in West Virginia, DraftKings was responsible for direct public opinion on online casinos, and it did not disappoint. The platform's excellence paved the way for other online casinos, and DraftKings has maintained the excellent platform of great odds and enticing bonuses.

DraftKings has a simple interface, excellent customer representation, a huge game catalog.

FanDuel Casino

The FanDuel brand has grown since its establishment in 2018. The brand is now one of America’s most used online casinos, and West Virginia is not an exception. FanDuel offers exciting gaming options like slots.

Fanduel allows diverse payments methods like Venmo, rewards both new and regular players, and the finest payment channels in the gambling space.

BetMGM Casino

BetMGM is famous for its affiliation with one of the largest entertainment conglomerates in America. The online casino is also a favorite for its betting rewards and interactive interface. Users enjoy great options with incredible odds on an intuitive platform.

If you need a casino with big gaming odds, extensive gaming options, and an intuitive platform, BetMGM should do the magic for you.