Welcome to West Virginia – The fifth state that legalized online betting in the US!
Online betting was legalized by Senate in March 2019. In readiness for operationalization, licenses have already been issued to West Virginia casinos for launching online betting, even though no launch date has been set. Given the length of time Pennsylvania required from legalization to launch, it is anticipated that West Virginia launch will occur mid to late 2021.
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West Virginia has always had relatively liberal gaming laws, similar to its neighboring state, Pennsylvania. The land based casinos in West Virginia range from mid to large scale. There are five large casinos that offer a whole suite of casino gaming that includes blackjack, poker, keno, bingo, slots and many other games. Onshore online gambling will soon be made available, and greyhound and horse racing is very popular in this state.
A quick overview of West Virginia state of gambling is as follows:
- Commercial licenses have been awarded to land based, riverboat, racetrack and sports betting.
- Racktrack facilities are permitted to offer VLT gaming without casino themes in accordance with the Racetrack Lottery Table Games Act.
- A maximum of three casinos are permitted in three strategic geographical locations within the State.
- The are no laws that expressly prohibit online gaming, but they do prohibit onshore casino operators, whilst offshore operators are allowed.
- Gambling minimum age is 18 for bingo, lottery, and horse and dog bets. Whilst 21 other gaming activity.
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West Virginia Online Gambling
In March 2019, Bill 2234 was put forward and passed with bipartisan agreement. This effectively legalized gambling on any electronic device and has led West Virginia to becoming the fifth state in the US to legalize online gambling.
Online gambling, unlike the majority of other states, is clearly referenced in law. The actual formal Online casino and Online poker governance and framework is anticipated to be launched in 2020.
Overview of West Virginia Casinos
What you may notice is that greyhound and horse racing is very popular in West Virginia. As a consequence, the 7 major casinos are located in the vicinity of racetracks to offer pari-mutuel betting, live and simulcast.
West Virginia has 7 casinos in which you’ll find more than 9,009 slots and gaming machines. There are a total of 226 table games.
The minimum aged to gamble at a casino in West Virginia is 21. The minimum age for bingo, lottery and racing is 18.
West Virginia Casinos
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, West Virginia
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has a wide range of gaming. Offering over 3,000 slots and video poker machines from wagers with the small pennies to $100, live craps, roulette, and blackjack games. A poker room contains over 50 tables. Partnering DraftKings, Hollywood Casino now accepts sport bets.
The gourmet restaurants are excellent as well as plenty of fast food outlets to choose from.
Casino Club at The Greenbrier
300 W. Main Street, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
The casino offers 320 state-of-the-art slots and 35 table games. These include blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, and 3-card poker. Partnering FanDuel, sports betting is now accepted at this casino.
All staffed with conscientious, capable and professional dealers. It’s a nice little place to gamble.
Please note that the Greenbrier is a restricted Casino Club that is permitted according to an issued Resort license (the only one of its kind in West Virginia). It is open to members only and NOT to the public.
Mountaineer Casino Racetrack
Mountaineer Casino, Route 2 South, Chester, West Virginia
Mountaineer Casino offers over 70,000 square feet of gaming, with over 2,000 slot machines, 39 gaming tables and 12 live action poker games. There is a large variety of slots, table games, the staff are great, and an good selection of restaurants to choose from.
Partnering William Hill, this casino now also accepts sport bets.
Mardi Gras Casino & Resort
1 Greyhound Drive, Cross Lanes, West Virginia
The casino offers 90,000 square feet of gambling space with 70 different games spread over 1800 slot machines, 30 gaming tables and up to 24 live action poker games spreading Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 7 Stud and more. Great service great people and all around fun place to be.
Wheeling Island Casino Racetrack
1 South Stone Street, Wheeling, West Virginia
This casino covers nearly 100,000 square feet and offers a huge 1,600 video lottery terminals serving up slots, bingo, keno, and video poker. Plus there is 24hr live gaming tables and a poker room (running 24 hours on weekends). Buffet, food and service is really good.
Sports Betting
West Virginia is the fifth US State to legalize sports gambling – behind Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey and Mississippi. As such, you will find sports books available at the five major casinos. Online and mobile sports betting is anticipated to be made available by the end of 2019.
The below three locations currently accept sports betting:
- Hollywood Casino at Charles Town (DraftKings)
- The Casino Club at the Greenbrier (FanDuel)
- Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort (William Hill)
The below two locations have had their sports book suspended due to a current law suit between the owners and the software provider.
- Mardi Gras Casino and Resort
- Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino and Racetrack
Pari-Mutuel Gambling
Greyhound and horse racing pari-mutuel gambling is readily available in racinos throughout West Virginia. These bets can be placed at live race tracks or off track at various outlets.
Gambling Laws
West Virginia is one of the few stats in the US that doesn’t have any “grey” laws regarding gambling. The state is quite clear in what you can and can’t do for activities that relate to gambling. Illegal gambling activities can lead to criminal charges and civil fines, with illegal gambling activities clearly described in the law.
Owning a slot machine is permitted in West Virginia and any age of the slot machine is allowed. This is unlike many other states that require a slot machine to be older than 25 year old for ownership to be permitted.
The only online gambling currently offered in West Virginia is off track racing, no other form of online gambling is currently offered although it is in the pipe line for sports and casino betting.
The two daily fantasy sport sites, DraftKing and FanDuel claim to be legal. This is one area of the West Virginia law that has not be legislated upon, and a Bill has been put forward but has yet to be passed. Nevertheless, the two operators are offering sports book betting in two of the major casinos in West Virginia.
Video Lottery gaming / terminals are permissible throughout the state, but business that operate VLT’s cannot overtly use gambling names or terminology at their premises. Nor can they appear to resemble a casino in design and layout. VLT’s must pay out approximately 80% to 95%.
Gambling Legislation
West Virginia residents interested in placing bets through the Internet can rejoice as the state now permits sports betting and online gambling and gaming on traditional casino games (poker, slots, and card games). (HB 2934). West Virginia law also allows licensed horse and dog racing and pari-mutuel wagering, W. Va. Code § 29-22A-1. and W. Va. Code § 19-23-1; limited video lottery games, W. Va. Code § 29-22B-101; and charity-sponsored games like bingo, raffles, and other games of chance.
Sports Betting: Sports betting is permitted in West Virginia with many licensed domestic and offshore platforms accepting bets from West Virginia residents on fantasy, pro, and collegiate sports matches, including FanDuel, DraftKings, and more.
Race Betting: Like in many states, horse and greyhound race betting is legal in West Virginia at its racing tracks as well as other venues that allow pari-mutuel betting. The licensed domestic platforms of TGV, BetAmerica, and TwinSpires all operate in the state.
Online Gambling & Gaming: Both online gambling and the placing of online bets on skills of game are permitted in West Virginia through licensed domestic and offshore platforms, including WorldWinner. The state continues to determine how to best allow online betting through domestic platforms and casinos, so interested individuals should carefully follow developments in this area.
Other Links
Wikipedia: List of casinos in West Virginia.
FAQ
There are an abundant number of offshore online casino providers that accept many US Players. At GambleDex we strongly recommend: Bovada, Slots.lv and Vegas Casino Online
The minimum age is 21
Online gambling is not illegal in West Virginia. The State legalized online gaming in March 2019.