Go to the Sports section on the BetMGM site and click “Register.” Provide your email address and a password. Select your title and enter your first and last name, four last SSN digits, and date of birth. Provide your address, state, zip code, and mobile phone number. Benefits of Legal Online Sports Betting in WV The most obvious benefit of online sports betting is convenience. Online sports gambling allows you to bet from your home computer or mobile device from anywhere within the state, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No need to drive to the sportsbook or casino, or to stand in line to wager.
After a bumpy start, West Virginia online sports betting has attracted three of the biggest sports betting apps to the state:
After, the launch and subsequent closure of West Virginia’s first online sportsbook, BetLucky, the WV sports betting crowd is relieved to have three popular options to choose from.
There are 12 sports betting licenses still available. It is entirely possible that more online sportsbooks will launch in West Virginia soon.
West Virginia’s online gambling options continue to expand with online casino gambling on the horizon.
In 2019, Gov. Jim Justice allowed the bill legalizing online casinos to become law. According to the West Virginia Lottery, the first WV online casino could launch soon.
A combined casino and sportsbook app might be just the enticement an operator needs to open up shop in the Mountain State.
While we wait for online casinos to go live, WV players still have plenty of gambling options in the state, including:
Is online sports betting legal in West Virginia? | Yes |
Land-based sports wagering venues: | 5 active |
Online sportsbooks: | 3 active; 15 available licenses |
Do sportsbooks need a local partner? | Yes |
Tax on online sports wagering: | 10% tax on operators |
In May of 2018, the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a 1992 federal law that effectively banned commercial sports betting in most states.
This opened the door to states to legalize and regulate sports betting, effectively ending the monopoly that Las Vegas held.
Legal sports betting in West Virginia launched in Aug. 2018. By December, all five casinos had a sportsbook onsite. December also marked the launch of the state’s first online sportsbook, BetLucky.
Unfortunately, it was short-lived and BetLucky was forced to cease operations after just a few months due to a dispute with its sports betting partner. It also forced the closure of the Mardi Casino Sportsbook and Wheeling Island Casino Sportsbook.
It was disappointing to the WV sports betting crowd who were left without the ability to bet on one of the most popular events of the year, March Madness.
In Aug. 2019, online sports betting returned to the state just in time for the NFL betting season.
The law restricts West Virginia online sportsbooks and mobile betting licenses to brick and mortar gaming license holders.
Today, only two WV casinos have partnered with a sports betting platform to launch mobile betting:
Hollywood Casino partnered with DraftKings Sportsbook. The Greenbrier launched two mobile sports betting apps:
Delaware North, the owner of Mardi Gras And Wheeling Island casinos severed ties with Mionmi, the operator of BetLucky Sportsbook, in favor of a partnership with IGT.
It has since reopened its retail sportsbooks at both casinos with the betly platform from IGT. It is presumed online sports betting will resume with a betly sports betting app sometime in the near future.
With 12 sports betting licenses still available, West Virginia is primed to be a player’s market. One way a new sportsbook will gain ground in the Mountain State is by offering very attractive West Virginia sports betting bonuses.
For instance, the FanDuel WV sports betting bonus offers new players a $500 risk-free first bet. Simply place a bet and if you lose, FanDuel will refund your bet (up to $500) in the form of site credits. The BetMGM sports betting bonus is similar.
Another example is the DraftKings sports betting bonus. It offers a free $25 bet to new players. It is pretty simple, after completing the registration process, a bettor receives $25 in free bets to use as they wish.
Additionally, all three online sports betting apps offer several attractive promotional codes for WV sports betting, odds boost, and free contests to help you take your betting dollar a bit further.
Online casinos became legal in West Virginia on March 27, 2019.
Gov.Justice allowed the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act to become law through lack of action, just as he did with the law allowing for online sports betting.
West Virginia law states that a bill becomes legal if the governor does not sign or veto it after 15 days.
With online casinos now legal in WV and the emergency rules filed with the Secretary of State, online casinos could launch as early as July 2020.
While there is no confirmation on which online casinos will be launching in WV, casino gamblers in the state can probably expect to see:
Also, considering the popularity of poker in West Virginia, PokerStars may set its sight on launching in the Mountain State.
West Virginia began offering horse racing and greyhound racing in 1931. Legal bingo was introduced in 1980. Lotteries became the third type of legal wagering in 1984.
A decade later in 1994, the law evolved to allow the race tracks to install and offer video lottery. Video lottery machines were allowed to expand into bars in 2001.
Video lottery terminals, VLTs, are the same as other video gaming terminals and slot machines. The term VLT is named such because these machines are regulated by the state’s lottery commission.
Serious progress was made in the West Virginia gambling scene in 2008 when the state made it possible for legal table games.
Only the five West Virginia land-based casinos are eligible to operate a retail sportsbook, online sports betting app and online casino.
There are four parimutuel-based casinos in West Virginia:
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is in the eastern part of the state and attracts players from Baltimore and Washington D.C. Its location makes it the highest-earning casino and sports betting operation in the state.
Mardi Gras Casino & Resort is in the western part of the state and attracts players from Southern Ohio and Kentucky.
Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack and Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort are in the northern part of the state and attract players from Columbus, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.
The fifth casino is The Casino Club at The Greenbrier. This is the newest addition to the state’s casinos. It is a private club and the only one that requires players to be guests of the hotel or have an invitation to an event to gain access.