Legal online gambling in West Virginia
WV online gambling is going through a boom time. Ever since the passing of the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act in March 2019, the state’s five licensed casinos have been allowed to partner with brands and launch online gambling sites.
Since then, West Virginia gambling has been growing fast online. In 2021 there are now over four legal and licensed sites associated with the state’s five legal land-based operators.
If you’re looking for a legal overview of the state, the sites where you can legally gamble, who has the best bonuses, and more — we’ve got you covered. Everything you want to know about legal gambling in West Virginia is on this page.
Best online gambling sites WV
The West Virginia Lottery Commission grants licenses to online gambling and sportsbook sites in the Mountain State. At Time2play, we only display sites licensed by WV’s gambling regulator.
Our expert scores rate all aspects of the best West Virginia online gambling sites. We’re always on the lookout for attractive welcome bonuses, but that’s only one of the factors that will affect an online casino’s ranking. Our lists are filterable so you can choose exactly the West Virginia gambling site you’re looking for. Alongside the welcome bonus, we’ll tell you the three best features of each site.
(Not to be confused with Virginia online gambling.)
| Casino Logo | Odds rating | Bonus | Go to casino Button | Show more | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
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87/100 Expert rating by Ian Z. 91% Playscore based on |
100% up to $1,000 + $25 Free Play
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Play now |
Good to know
14 payment methods 
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2
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86/100 Expert rating by Claire S. 85% Playscore based on |
Bonus Money reload up to $500
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Play now |
Good to know
9 payment methods
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3
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85/100 Expert rating by Ian Z. 86% Playscore based on |
100% up to $2,500 and 2,500 Reward Credits on a $25+ wager
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Play now |
Good to know
11 payment methods
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WV online gambling sites by type — what’s legal?
West Virginia gambling laws mean that you have to be 21 and within state lines to gamble online legally. The same rules apply if you want to place bets on your favorite team at sportsbooks. While it’s legal for operators to host live poker games, at present no WV online gambling site offers it.
What about gambling and sports betting at land-based casinos? The same rules apply in terms of age limit (you have to be 21). It is legal to purchase lottery tickets and play bingo if you’re over the age of 18 though.
Want to know more? We’ve put together a list of all the WV legal gambling categories and age requirements in one place.
- Gambling sites exclusively licensed by WV Lottery
- Rated by experts, players, users
- Transparent and detailed ratings
| Gambling vertical | Offline legal age | Online legal age | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casinos | 21 | 21 | 2020 |
| Sportsbooks | 21 | 21 | 2018 |
| Social casinos | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Social betting apps | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Online poker | 21 | n/a | n/a |
| Lottery | 18 | n/a | n/a |
| Bingo | 18 | n/a | n/a |
West Virginia online casinos — legal since 2020
The Mountain State legalized online casinos in 2019, with the first operator opening in 2020. That means that WV online gambling is still relatively new especially when compared to New Jersey gambling, with only a small number of legal online casinos available. Still a much better situation than what we see on the Illinois online gambling landscape though!
However, West Virginia’s online casinos are tied to established land-based operators that offer some advantageous welcome offers such as a 100% deposit match bonus up to $2,500 and 50 free spins. So even though online casinos in WV might be new they are keeping up with the big boys in terms of promotions. These promotions also carry a super low wagering requirement of 1x, so extra plus points there.
New West Virginia online casinos are also opening at a steady pace. In 2020 there were only 2 online casinos, but in 2021 another four online casinos opened their doors. As of the time of writing, a total of seven WV online casinos are available with PointsBet Casino being the newest one to be added to the list.
West Virginia betting sites — legal since 2018
West Virginia sports betting is legal, with online and retail sportsbooks available for fans who are over 21. WV Sports Lottery Wagering Act of 2018 legalized sports betting in the state. Since 2019 a small but growing number of online sportsbooks, linked to land-based operators, have successfully set up shop in the Mountain State.
All the major US sports are represented at top operators like BetMGM and FanDuel, including NFL, MLB, NBA, MMA (mixed martial arts), and NASCAR. While you can’t bet on college football games in some states, there are no such restrictions in West Virginia.
You can bet on major international sporting events too, including international soccer and tennis tournaments. All online sportsbooks in West Virginia have generous welcome bonuses in the form of risk-free bets – usually in the four figure range. Other sportsbooks also offer daily and weekly promotions after you’ve signed up, to keep players coming back for more.
| Sportsbook logo | Odds rating | Bonus | Go to sportsbook Button | Show more | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1
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90/100 Expert rating by Ian Z. 94% Playscore based on |
Up to $1,000 back as a Bonus Bet on your first wager
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Play now |
Good to know
9 payment methods
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2
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85/100 Expert rating by Anna M. 91% Playscore based on |
Up to $1,500 back in Bonus Bets
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Play now |
Good to know
14 payment methods
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3
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84/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 91% Playscore based on |
Up to 200,000 Gold Coins + 9 Sweeps Coins
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Play now |
Good to know
6 payment methods
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4
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83/100 Expert rating by Ian Z. 86% Playscore based on |
Second Chance Bet of up to $250
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Play now |
Good to know
6 payment methods
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5
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80/100 Expert rating by Anna M. 87% Playscore based on |
100% match up to $500
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Play now |
Good to know
7 payment methods
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6
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80/100 Expert rating by Ramona D. 83% Playscore based on |
100% up to $100 FC
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Play now |
Good to know
5 payment methods
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7
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80/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 83% Playscore based on |
100% up to $100 BC
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Play now |
Good to know
5 payment methods
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8
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80/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 86% Playscore based on |
250 Virtual Credits
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Play now |
Good to know
6 payment methods
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9
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78/100 Expert rating by Anna M. 86% Playscore based on |
100% match up to $100 + $5 Promo Pick
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Play now |
Good to know
4 payment methods
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10
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67/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 81% Playscore based on |
Spend $10 get $30 of Sweeps Coins
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Play now |
Good to know
7 payment methods
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West Virginia online poker — legal since 2019
The good news is poker is technically legal since the Mountain State passed the 2019 WV Lottery Interactive Wagering Act. Online gambling in West Virginia may be new, but it’s also growing fast. As the situation improves (and we are optimists at Time2play), we’d expect to see major brands like BetMGM and BetRivers to get in on the action.
What about playing poker in person in West Virginia? It’s worth pointing out here that while some land-based casinos in WV like Mardi Gras host poker rooms – it’s not available at every operator.
- Online poker is legal
- No online gambling site in WV offers it yet
Other forms of gambling in WV
The big three verticals — online slots, sports betting, and live poker — are all legal (and mostly) available to play in the state. But what about other forms of gambling in West Virginia? The biggest has got to be the lottery.
West Virginia Lottery
The West Virginia Lottery has been issuing lottery tickets since January 1986 with a jackpot of $5,000. These days the jackpots can go up to $60 million, and as of 2021 West Virginians have netted over $3 billion in prize money. Proceeds from the lottery have generated over $10 billion for the residents of West Virginia. The money has helped senior citizens and funded schools and education, state parks, and other worthy causes.
Bingo
Bingo in West Virginia can only be hosted by charities and public organizations, together with commercial bingo at specified gaming establishments. As of yet, online bingo is still not available for the Mountain State’s residents.
Horse race betting
Offline and online horse betting is legal in the state, with a number of third-party sites offering risk-free bets as a welcome bonus online. The state’s four licensed racetracks allow you to place bets on live thoroughbred and greyhound races, as well as on races across the country.
Greyhound race betting
Similar to horse racing, West Viriginia also allows its residents the option to bet on greyhounds. West Virginia is one of the five states that still have active greyhound tracks. Some sportsbooks (such as FanDuel) will offer both horse racing and greyhound racing on a separate platform so do keep an eye out for this in case you don’t find online greyhound racing at your favorite sportsbook.Offline gambling in West Virginia
West Virginia has a long and rich history of gambling, with 5 land-based casinos, most of which originated as racetracks. Unlike NJ, the state doesn’t have the equivalent of a one-stop Atlantic City-style location for gambling. Instead, WV has different operations dotted around rural and urban locations in the state.
Despite hosting racetracks that have a history going back to the early 20th century, table games and sports betting only became legal in 2007 and 2018, respectively.
Four of the land-based casinos also host tracks for thoroughbred and greyhound races. These include Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Mardi Gras Casino and Resort, Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort, Wheeling Island Casino-Racetracks.
Another popular form of gambling is Video Lottery Terminals (VLT). These machines have been available at licensed racetracks since 1994, and other select locations like bars since 2001. These machines offer players a range of slots, RNG table games, and KENO. As with the lottery, a percentage of the revenue is used for state-run programs that benefit the people of West Virginia.
Bingo games and raffles are also legal in West Virginia, provided they are run by licensed charitable and public service organizations.
You can gamble at all of the operators in West Virginia so long as you’re at least 21 years old. The Greenbrier is the only exception to the rule. You have to be 21+ and a member or a guest before you can place bets at their casino and sportsbook.
How are land-based and online gambling operators connected? Due to state rules, every online casino and sportsbook is legally connected to one of 5 casinos.
| Casino | Date launched | Online version | Online poker | Online casino | Online sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeling Island Casino-Racetracks | 2007: began offering casino table games | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort | 2007: began offering casino table games 1951: Opened as racetrack | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Mardi Gras Casino and Resort | 2008: began offering casino table games | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races | 2009: began offering casino table games 1933: Opened as a racetrack | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| The Casino Club at the Greenbrier | 2010: casino founded 1913: Opened as a hotel resort | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
How we rate the best West Virginia gambling sites
The number of legal gambling sites in WV is growing every year since the West Virginia Interactive Wagering Act was passed in 2019. The West Virginia Lottery is the governing body that grants licenses to online gambling and sportsbooks in the Mountain State – and we always make sure the sites we rate are approved by the state’s regulator.
When we rate WV gambling sites, we have a criteria list and use an unbiased points-based system. If two casinos have different scores, there’s a reason for that, and we always make that clear for you (the player) so you can choose the best WV legal gambling site.
Want more info on how we rate legal online gambling sites in WV? Check out a detailed breakdown of our full criteria here.
State license
All West Virginia online gambling operators must be approved and licensed by the West Virginia Lottery. If it doesn’t meet this criterion, it’s illegal and we won’t rank it.
Products
Legal online gambling in West Virginia products can be split into online casinos and sportsbooks. When it comes to casinos, we look for the range of software providers and the number of games on offer. We want to see 300-500 slots and RNG table games from top iGaming studios like NetEnt and SG Digital. When it comes to online sportsbooks, we’re looking for how many sports you can bet on, the range of the odds, and whether you can bet on live games. Transparency of information and ease of use for players of all levels are also big pluses for us.
Mobile app
When we’re rating the best legal WV gambling sites, we compare their desktop and mobile offerings. We want to see native apps that are available for both Android and iOS users. Mobile apps should also be as easy to navigate as desktop sites. If the sportsbook or real money casino app has over 80% of their desktop offering they’ll get a higher ranking from us. Aside from ease of use and the quality and quantity of games, mobile apps should be glitch and crash-free to get the top score.
Payments
When compared to a state like New Jersey or Pennsylvania, WV has a long way to go when it comes to the choice of legal online gambling sites. However, when it comes to payment options, casinos like BetMGM and FanDuel offer Play+ and PayPal as deposit and withdrawal methods. We’d like to see clear info on deposit/withdrawal methods, withdrawal times and limits, and transparent T&Cs. While in other states, we’d expect to see 10+ payment options, at present most WV legal gambling sites aren’t hitting that number – so we’d expect to see at least 5+ options.
Platform
We want to see a site that’s easy to use overall. That means signing up should be quick and easy. Welcome bonuses, deposit bonuses, wagering requirements, T&Cs, and other crucial information should be easy to find. Also you players should be able to easily contact customer service and expect a speedy response. Overall usability matters to us . If sites allow users to filter out game categories, jackpots, even studios – they’ll get top marks from us.
How safe is WV gambling?
You can safely and legally gamble online in West Virginia. Compared to other states it’s a newcomer to the industry, but the regulations are as strict and well-enforced as anywhere.
The West Virginia Lottery grants licenses and regulates iGaming in the state (as well as running the state lottery). While the West Virginia Lottery site isn’t the easiest to navigate for users looking for licensed online gambling sites, it does dedicate a section with detailed rules and regulations for online gambling in WV the states.
The West Virginia Lottery Commission is the sole auditor for online and offline operators in the state. That means it’s responsible for auditing all forms of gambling in WV. That includes lottery, scratchers, table games, VLTs, online gambling, sportsbooks, and more.
West Virginia gambling laws — the history
The history of WV gambling goes back to the ‘30s, with the founding of the West Virginia Racing Commission. Apart from horse racing, West Virginia’s gambling industry is still pretty new. The state only began offering table games at racetracks in 2007. Sports betting became legal in 2018, and online gambling in 2019. So compared with states like NJ and NV it’s still the new kid in town.
The start of it all
The West Virginia Racing Commission is formed after race betting is legalized in the state. This commission will oversee all racetrack operations in the state.
First legal horse racing track is founded
Pari-mutuel horse race betting becomes legal and is first introduced at licensed racetracks in WV. Then, in December of that year, what would become the Charles Town Races is founded making it the first legal horse-racing track in operation both in the state and the country.
The West Virginia lottery is born
First West Virginia lottery ticket sold in January of that year, with a jackpot of $5,000, following a state-wide referendum in 1984.
Slot and casino games make an entrance
Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs), offering slot games, RNG table games, and KENO, are first introduced to licensed racetracks in West Virginia.
Table games arrive at casinos in West Virginia
Licensed racetracks in WV are allowed to offer table games – in the following years the Mardi Gras, Hollywood Casino, Mountaineer, and Greenbrier open casinos.
Sports betting arrives to West Virginia
Sports betting becomes legal in the state after the WV Sports Lottery Wagering Act is passed. It would take less than two years for sportsbook revenue to hit $6.7 million in December 2020.
Online gambling in West Virginia becomes reality
West Virginia legislators passed the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, allowing licensed land-based casinos to open online gambling sites.
Gambling’s impact on West Virginia
Revenue from all forms of gambling has greatly impacted the economy of the Mountain State. The gross revenue for casinos in 2020 was over $400 million. The West Virginia Lottery has generated over $10 billion for social programs in the state. According to official WV Lottery statistics, $1.4 billion has gone into helping senior citizens, $3.5 billion to education, and $1.2 for tourism, which helps maintain and improve national parks.
What about the WV online gambling industry in 2021? According to WV commission reports, it’s growing at a steady clip, with online casino revenue gaining over $30 million of revenue as of June 2021. This growth is bound to impact the economy of the state and transfer more revenue to the WV Lottery in 2022, which will boost the economy and positively impact the people of West Virginia.
Latest updates — more online operators?
Online gambling in WV might be relatively new, but we’re already seeing some great strides forward. Here are the most noteworthy.
- Legal online gambling operators need to be partnered with established land-based casinos
- Some of the biggest names in online gambling in the US operate here: BetMGM being the most notable.
- In 2021, five brands joined the online gambling landscape in WV: BetRivers, Caesars, FanDuel, Golden Nugget and PointsBet.
FAQs
Is gambling legal in West Virginia?
Yes. You can gamble online at licensed WV online gambling sites within the state limits. Want to know what site is legal? Always look for the “West Virginia Lottery Approved” seal at the footer of the operator’s page.
How many online gambling sites are there in WV?
At time of writing there are 7 online casinos in West Virginia and most of these come with a dedicated sportsbook. All of the legal West Virginia gambling sites are partnered with one of the major offline casinos in the state.
Where can you gamble in WV?
It depends on what you’re looking for! If you want to play video slots and RNG table games, you could opt for a reputable brand like BetMGM. For sports betting FanDuel and Caesars Sportsbook might be more your thing. Every operator has its advantages (and disadvantages). Take a look at our list of the Best WV gambling sites.
When did West Virginia legalize gambling?
In West Virginia online gambling was officially legalized in 2019 with the passing of the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act. Sports betting had been legalized in 2018, and table games at land-based casinos were legalized in 2007.
What is the legal gambling age in West Virginia?
You need to be 21+ to be able to legally gamble in West Virginia – that includes casino games, sports betting, and racetracks. However, if you’re over the age of 18 you can purchase lottery tickets and play bingo. For a list of the best legal gambling ages in West Virginia, check out our list.
