Online Gambling West Virginia

1. West Virginia Online Gambling Laws
2. West Virginia Online Casino

West Virginia is a thriving state with much to offer. Laws for Gambling in West Virginia allow for a plethora of different gaming options such as horse and dog race betting, casino gambling, the state lottery, charitable gaming, sports betting, and even online gambling. Now, an online casino in West Virginia is in a unique position, because it can access the best vendors and suppliers. We are talking big names here such as Microgaming, NetEnt, Betsoft Gaming, and Evolution Gaming. Actually, especially Evolution Gaming. In West Virginia, online gambling is prosperous, offering great opportunities. West Virginia Online Gambling Laws. West Virginia's extensive set of statutes related to gambling have not included anything about online gambling historically, but that all changed once the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA, 1992) was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2018. Another online casino that you can play at for free in West Virginia is the Lucky North Casino. Taking a look on the site for the first time, you will be impressed with the. West Virginia passed comprehensive online gambling laws in March 2019, allowing each of the five land-based gambling operations in the state to offer online sports betting, online casinos and online poker. The cost of licensing for each property was $250,000 initially, with a $100,000 renewal fee every 5 years.

West Virginia offers several forms of state-sanctioned gambling. Pari-mutuel horse race betting was introduced to the state in 1933. In 1984, the Mountain State established its lottery after following a statewide referendum, and in 1994 another referendum authorized Video Lottery Terminals at the local racetracks.

In 2001, VLTs were also introduced to bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, as well as for fraternal organizations, and in 2007, West Virginia racetracks were allowed to begin offering table games.

West Virginia was also one of the first states that legalized sports betting once the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on this form of gambling in May 2018. The WV Sports Lottery Wagering Act was passed that same month. The first betting license was awarded to Penn National, the company that operates Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. The new sportsbook started taking bets on August 18, 2018, and by the end of the year, four out of five of the local casinos were offering legal sports betting.

West Virginia Gambling Law Summary

Gambling in West Virginia is covered by West Virginia Code, Section 61-10. The current regulations prohibit West Virginia residents from taking part in many unlicensed games with real money involved, but the list doesn’t mention games that are played over the internet. As a result, it’s impossible to tell whether this list should be applied to online gambling scenarios. So far, no players have been prosecuted, so no court interpretation could help us shed some light on this issue.

Other gambling-related offenses are covered by West Virginia Code, Chapter 61, Article 10: Crimes Against Public Policy. The minimum gambling age in West Virginia is 18 for lottery games, bingo, and racing, and 21 for sports betting and casino-style games.

Online Gambling in West Virginia

On March 27, 2019, West Virginia legislators passed the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, which will introduce legal online casino and poker options to the state via the local land-based casinos. This bill will go into effect on June 7, and the regulatory framework for these new forms of gambling is expected to be ready by early 2020.

It’s worth remembering that the new bill does not legalize playing on offshore sites. West Virginia defines gambling as “betting or wagering money or another thing of value on any game of chance or knowingly giving money or something of value for another to bet on any game of chance.” This definition is broad enough to cover all unauthorized internet games. Placing any unlawful bets constitutes a misdemeanor and is punishable by a $5-$100 fine. The offender may also be required to give security for his good behavior for one year.

West Virginia Casinos

West Virginia has five large gambling facilities that offer Video Lottery Terminals and classic table games, such as craps, roulette, blackjack, and casino poker. These facilities are located in White Sulphur Springs (The Casino Club at The Greenbrier), Ranson (Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races), New Cumberland (Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort), Cross Lanes (Mardi Gras West Virginia Casino Resort), and Wheeling (Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack). As mentioned above, VLTs can also be operated by bars (up to five terminals) and fraternity organizations (up to ten terminals). All terminals are required to have an 80%-95% return-to-player games. West Virginia casinos aren’t required to enforce any bet size limits.

West Virginia recently passed an online gambling bill, and the first sites are expected to go online in 2020. Playing on offshore sites will remain illegal and will still be classified as a misdemeanor.

West Virginia Poker

All West Virginia gambling establishments operate live poker rooms, but they do differ in size:

– Mardi Gras Casino West Virginia – 24 tables

– Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races – 16 tables

– Mountaineer Casino – 14 tables

– Wheeling Island Casino – 9 tables

– The Greenbrier – 2 tables

Cash game action is very Hold’ em-centric, with most tables running $1/$2 or $2/$5 No-Limit Hold ’em or $3/$6 Limit Hold ’em. The largest poker rooms host multiple Hold ’em tournaments every week, with the buy-ins ranging from $55 to $135.

West Virginia recently passed an online gambling bill, and the first internet poker rooms are expected to become available in the first half of 2020. Playing on offshore sites is prohibited and is considered a misdemeanor.

West Virginia Sports Betting

Sports betting was legalized in West Virginia in May 2018. Since then, all the local sportsbooks have launched land-based sportsbooks in cooperation with well-established betting companies.

As mentioned above, the first license went to Penn National, the owners of Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. The online version of this sportsbook was launched in cooperation with William Hill and is known as Hollywood Sportsbook.

The second license went to FanDuel and The Greenbrier. This sportsbook is available online as FanDuel Sportsbook at The Greenbrier.

The two Delaware North Casinos, Mardi Gras Casino and Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, also launched land-based sportsbooks by the end of the year. Still, they were forced to stop taking bets due to a dispute with their service provider. BetLucky, the online platform tied to these gambling establishments, is still online, but its customers won’t be able to deposit or place any bets until the legal problems are resolved.

The Mountaineer Casino Resort was the last West Virginia gambling establishment to launch a land-based sportsbook. Its customers can place bets online via the Mountaineer Sportsbook, which is operated in cooperation with William Hill.

Also, West Virginia residents are free to engage in on-track and off-track horse race betting. This form of gambling is also available online via popular US-facing platforms, such as TVG, XpressBet, and TwinSpires.

West Virginia Daily Fantasy Sports

DFS contests are considered legal in West Virginia. In 2016, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey declared that such games do not meet the state’s threshold of gambling because of the amount of skill required from the players. In 2017, West Virginia lawmakers also introduced a bill designed to clarify the legal status of DFS contests further. The bill designated HB 2751, ended up being passed to the House Judiciary Committee, but no further action was taken.

As it stands, all the popular DFS platforms, including DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Sports, are available to West Virginia residents.

West Virginia Lotteries

West Virginia lottery offers the following draw games: Powerball, Lotto America, Mega Millions, Daily 3, Daily 4, Cash 25, and Keno. It also provides scratch games and operates the VLTs which are available across the entire state. All lottery tickets have to be purchased from land-based retailers, as the lottery isn’t authorized to sell tickets online. The official lottery website is for information purposes only.

West Virginia Bingo

Charities and public organizations can host bingo games in West Virginia. Also, commercial bingo is available at the local gambling establishments. Legal internet bingo is currently unavailable, and it’s questionable whether any of the casinos will launch dedicated bingo sites once iGaming goes online in West Virginia. Playing on offshore bingo sites is illegal and constitutes a misdemeanor.

West Virginia Online Gambling FAQ

What types of gambling are available in WV?

West Virginia is a gambling-friendly state with plenty of options for the local real money gaming enthusiasts. The Mountain State has commercial casinos, and if that wasn’t enough, the local racetracks are allowed to offer casino-style games as well. West Virginia also allows pari-mutuel betting, charitable gambling, and bingo. The state also operates its own lottery and is planning to start selling lottery tickets online in 2015.

What laws cover online gambling in West Virginia?

West Virginia Online Gambling Laws

Playing games of chance for money in land-based gambling establishments is covered rather extensively by Section 61 of the West Virginia code. However, none of the West Virginia regulations apply specifically to online play, which means that there are no laws that could prevent local gambling enthusiasts from using quality offshore gambling platforms, such as Bovada.

Is real money online gambling legal in West Virginia?

Most probably, yes. West Virginia Code doesn’t explicitly prohibit online gambling, and the authorities simply don’t bother with investigating individual players.

Which offshore gambling sites accept West Virginia residents?

West Virginia-based players are free to enjoy all the high-traffic offshore sites, including Bovada poker, casino, and sportsbook.

What are the most popular banking options supported by West Virginia -facing sites?

Unlike the European and Asian sites, most US-facing casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks don’t give you all that many banking options to choose from. In most cases, Visa and MasterCard work best when it comes to making a deposit, while wire transfers are the cheapest way of cashing out.

Does West Virginia offer any intrastate online gambling?

No. There is no legal framework that’d allow the local businesses to launch West Virginia-facing sites. Any site that claims to be licensed and regulated in West Virginia should be treated with caution, as there’s no reason to play on sketchy sites with so many quality services like Bovada around.

Is it likely for West Virginia to regulate online gambling?

West Virginia is currently in the process of introducing new regulations that’d allow online lottery sales. However, it’s impossible to predict whether this will lead to any new iGaming legislation or not.

History of West Virginia online gambling

West Virginia wasn’t one of the earliest states to begin discussing internet gambling. However, the legislature’s interest piqued when New Jersey challenged a federal ban on sports betting (PASPA) in 2016.

WV was one of five states to join New Jersey in this fight. They triumphed when the Supreme Court abolished PASPA in May 2018.

Politicians preemptively passed a bill on the matter in March 2018. The WV Lottery Sports Wagering Act (S 415), which allows land-based and online betting, went into effect after PASPA’s fall.

The now-defunct BetLucky accepted West Virginia’s first official online wager in December 2018. Today, multiple other operators serve the WV online sports betting market.

In 2019, Del. Jason Barrett introduced a lottery-backed bill that called for legal online casinos and poker sites. The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act (HB 2934) passed in both houses in early 2019.

Gov. Jim Justice made the legislation official with his signature on March 9, 2019. DraftKings launched the state’s first online casino in July 2020.

West Virginia online sports betting

West Virginia currently features three legal online sportsbooks:

• BetMGM (in partnership with The Greenbrier)
• DraftKings (in partnership with Hollywood Casino)
• FanDuel (in partnership with the Greenbrier)

FanDuel and DraftKings weren’t the first bookmakers in the market after launching in August 2019. However, they were the first two operators to gain meaningful market share in the Mountaineer State.

BetMGM online launched in January 2020 to capitalize on Super Bowl LIV. It also appears to have staying power in the market.

Each of West Virginia's five land-based casinos can form partnerships with up to three online bookmakers (15 total). However, given the failures of BetLucky and other early operators, WV likely doesn’t have enough liquidity for up to 15 betting sites.

West Virginia online casinos

WV offers the following legal online casinos:

• BetMGM Casino (The Greenbrier)
• DraftKings Casino (Hollywood Casino)
• Chumba Casino (no partner—social gaming)

Tip: To follow the latest casino updated see the West Virginia online casino guide.

DraftKings was the first regulated internet casino to launch in West Virginia in July 2020. Much like with sports betting, BetMGM joined the party later in August 2020.

BetMGM and DraftKings are currently the only legal real-money casinos in the Mountaineer State. They accept real-money wagers and pay cash winnings.

Chumba, meanwhile, is a legal social gaming site. It sees players win coins that they can use to enter sweepstakes contests.

West Virginia poker sites

The Lottery Interactive Wagering Act allows for up to five WV poker sites. At the time of this writing, though, no legal online poker sites are available in West Virginia.

The state has been slow to work out all of the legal kinks with internet poker. Furthermore, it has yet to approve any applicants.

Operators are likely hesitant to jump into the WV market. After all, online poker is a game that heavily relies on liquidity to succeed.

West Virginia is only the 38th most-populous state in America. It would need to join a multi-state compact and share its player pool to create any meaningful liquidity.

Assuming internet poker does take off in WV, BetMGM and PokerStars (Flutter Entertainment) are two likely candidates to launch sites. PokerStars is especially significant, as it features more online poker customers worldwide than any other entity.

Requirements to obtain a WV online gambling license

Licensing costs

West Virginia requires operators to initially pay $250,000 for an internet gambling license. Licenses last for five years and come with a $100,000 renewal cost.

Online casinos and poker sites must cover a 15% tax rate. Meanwhile, internet betting operators pay a 10% rate.

List of eligible WV land-based casino partners

Internet gambling operators must partner with one of West Virginia’s land-based casinos. The state’s five brick-and-mortar casinos are:

• Hollywood Casino (Charles Town) - Owned by Penn National, this racino features over 2,500 slot machines, table games, and a poker room.
• Mardi Gras (Cross Lanes) - Owned by Delaware North, Mardi Gras offers almost 1,000 slots and a poker room.
• Mountaineer (New Cumberland) - Mountaineer features a poker room, a thoroughbred racetrack, 1,100 slots, and over 30 table games.
• The Greenbrier (Greenbrier County) - Opened in 1778, The Greenbrier resort received permission from the state to launch a private casino in 2008.
• Wheeling Island (Wheeling Island) - Also owned by Delaware North, Wheeling Island spreads over 1,100 slot machines and a poker room.

Who regulates online gambling in West Virginia?

The West Virginia State Lottery regulates both land-based and internet gambling in the Mountaineer State. It reviews applications, approves operators, and accepts licensing fees.

Deposit & withdrawal options

West Virginia online gambling sites boast a variety of deposit and withdrawal options. Therefore, you should experience little trouble funding your account and receiving payouts in WV.

Deposit options

• ACH (e-check) - This option lets you link a bank account to a gambling site and send funds to your account.
• Cash at the cage - Visit a land-based WV casino and deposit directly at its cage.
• Credit/debit card - Deposit using branded cards from Visa and Mastercard.
• E-wallet - Skrill and PayPal are both available for gambling deposits.
• PayNearMe - Fund your account through your local 7-Eleven.
• Prepaid card - You can use these casino-issued cards like a gift card.

Withdrawal methods

• ACH - Withdraw money to your linked bank account.
• Cash at the cage - Receive instant cashouts from a brick-and-mortar cage.
• E-wallet - Use PayPal and Skrill to collect payments.
• Paper check - Request a paper check, which may take up to 14 days to arrive.
• Prepaid card - Load funds back onto your casino-branded card.

West Virginia online gambling bonuses

Given that it hasn’t launched yet, online poker doesn’t currently offer bonuses. However, WV online casinos and sportsbooks feature some or all of the following deals. To see bonuses on legal sites in other states within the USA, check out the US online gambling guide.

No-deposit bonus

A no-deposit bonus becomes available after you register for an account. For example, you might receive $25 after signing up at a casino or betting site.

From here, you gamble to satisfy terms and conditions. You keep whatever is left from the bonus—plus any winnings —after meeting T&Cs.

Here’s an example:

• You receive a $20 no-deposit bonus.
• Rollover is 10x.
• $10 remains after you satisfy T&Cs.
• You can either cash out the $10 or keep gambling with it.

Deposit bonus

A deposit bonus matches a percentage of your deposit up to a specified amount. You get to withdraw the bonus after meeting terms and conditions.

Here’s an example:

• A WV gaming site offers a 100% match bonus worth up to $500.
• You deposit $300, thus qualifying for a $300 bonus.
• You can cash out the $300 after satisfying all terms.

Cashback

Exclusive to online casinos, cashback allows you to win back a percentage of your losses. Cashback typically applies to losses accrued over a specified period (e.g., seven days after depositing).

Here’s an example:

• A casino offers 10% cashback on your first deposit.
• The offer covers the first seven days following the deposit.
• You lose $100 within the first week.
• 100 x 0.1 = $10 in cashback

VIP rewards

WV online casinos and bookmakers may also offer loyalty benefits. These rewards apply to all of your real-money wagers.

Depending on the gambling type, you may be privy to some or all of the following:

• Comp points (exchange for cash)
• Deposit bonuses
• Free bets
• Free slots spins
• Land-based casino comps

Free bet

Online bookmakers offer free bets when you sign up and deposit. A free wager lets you win back potential losses stemming from your first bet.

Here’s an example:

• An internet sportsbook offers up to a $500 risk-free wager.
• You place a $250 bet and lose.
• You can earn the $250 back by meeting T&Cs.

FAQs

Yes. Online sports betting, poker, and casino games are all legal in the Mountaineer State.
The WV Lottery Sports Wagering Act (S 415) makes internet betting legal. The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act (HB 2934) allows for online poker and casino games.

The West Virginia Lottery regulates all internet gambling in the state. It works to guarantee that only qualified companies can operate in WV.
The state lottery also ensures that operators live up to the standards set forth by S 415 and HB 2934. It reserves the right to fine or even revoke the license of operators that break the rules.

You can gamble online in West Virginia if you’re at least 21 years old. You must verify your age when signing up at an internet casino or sportsbook.

No. You can enjoy WV internet gambling as long as you’re located within state lines at the time.
West Virginia online gambling sites use geolocation to determine where you are. As long as the software establishes that you’re in WV, you’re good to go.

The state only taxes winnings gained through the West Virginia State Lottery. Therefore, online casino and betting winnings aren’t subject to WV taxes.
However, people do need to list the following gambling wins on federal tax forms:
1. Online slots - Wins of $1,200 or greater
2. Online sports betting - Wins of $600+ (without TIN) or $5,000+ (if TIN is provided)
3. Online poker tournaments - Wins of $5,000 or greater

West Virginia Online Casino

Internet poker is legal in West Virginia as of 2019. However, the market has been slower to form than the online betting and casino markets.
The Mountaineer State will likely feature one or more poker sites in the future. No timetable is available on when this will happen, though.