West Virginia has plenty of legal gambling options from casinos, racetracks, online casinos, and sports betting. There is much that can be wagered on in the state of WV, which is also now home to such heavyweight sportsbooks as DraftKings and FanDuel. This article will cover what has been going on in the state of WV–where you can play slots, poker, and table games online–and what’s to come.
WV Legal Gambling History
In 1994 the state of West Virginia legalized casino gambling. Since then there have been 5 properties in operation.
In 2018 West Virginia passed its online gambling bill which allowed for the legalization of online casino games, poker, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, race betting, and games of skill.
Once PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Participation Act) was lifted by the Supreme Court in 2018, West Virginia wasted no time in passing a bill allowing for sports betting to take place legally within the state. This extended to online sports betting as well. The West Virginia Sports Betting Bill allows for only existing racetracks and casinos to hold licenses. This, as we’ve seen in other states has made the room for impressive and established sportsbooks to pair up with WV casinos and enter into the state’s market.
In March of 2019 another key bill passed in the state of WV, the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act; which formally legalized online gambling in the state. More so, this act just made things clearer for how things were going to work within the state. In WV, the states lottery commission oversees all online gambling and regulations are still being worked out as we speak.
WV Gambling Legal Status
West Virginia allows for customers who are 18 and older to play at their casinos, both online and at land-based locations. Players who are 18 and up may also place sports bets with any of the states five sportsbooks and wager real money on games of skill.
Players 18 and up in the state of WV can also play the state lottery and participate in race betting.
WV Retail Casinos and Sportsbooks
In WV you’ll find a handful of options to meet your legal gambling needs. The state has one casino/hotel property and four race track casinos. West Virginia has five legal sportsbooks, one for every casino.
These casinos are:
- Chester Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort
- Cross Lanes Mardi Gras Casino and Resort
- Ranson Charles Town Hollywood Casino
- The Greenbrier Casino and Hotel
- Wheeling Island Racetrack Casino and Hotel
WV Online Casinos and Sportsbooks
The first online casino in West Virginia went live in March of 2019. Since the time there have been only a few casinos to launch. These include:
- FanDuel West Virginia
- DraftKings West Virginia
- PokerStars
- PlayElDorado
- Lucky North Casino
Players in WV can take their pick from slots, poker, table games, and live dealer games.
Out of the five legal sportsbooks in West Virginia, only 2 of them are currently online: FanDuel and DraftKings. Not a lot, but these are 2 of the best sportsbooks right now. UK based William Hill Sportsbook has also been approved by the state of WV and set to launch in the near future.
WV Legal Gambling FAQ’s
What is legal for me to bet on in the state of WV?
In West Virginia the following forms of gambling are legal: casino games, online casinos, sports betting (on and offline), daily fantasy sports, race betting, games of skill, and the state lottery.
What are the requirements and restrictions of legal gambling in the state of WV?
Players in the state of West Virginia must be 18 or older to play casino games, online casino games, to bet on sports on and offline, bet on races, play the state’s lottery, and play daily fantasy sports.
The growing market in West Virginia will continue to grow. The legislation has set in and it only takes a few investors to bring in more competition. For now, hopefully, this information will help you get a clearer picture of what is happening and what may happen in the West Virginia gambling platform.
