Online Gambling in West Virginia
West Virginia
Is it Legal in West Virginia?
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With a population of 1.8 million and as one of the most conservative states, West Virginia is an unlikely online gambling hub. With comprehensive online gambling (online casinos, online sports betting, online poker) legalized, the state is only one of a few number of states to hold that distinction.
West Virginia online gambling was passed in 2019 with online sports betting going live first, followed by the first casino in the summer of 2020. Online poker is currently on the back burner, likely due in part to the state’s relatively small population to sustain a poker room.
What is available in West Virginia?
WV law has few restrictions in place for what can be offered in the state. Online casinos can offer most table games and of course, slots. Other table games such as craps can be offered but casinos have so far been slow to roll them out. Both online casinos and online sportsbooks must partner with land-based West Virginia casinos to operate in the state.
Although legal, online poker is not yet available as operators focus on online casinos and online sportsbooks. The future of online poker in WV likely relies on interstate compacts, which would allow operators to merge player pools across state lines, and sustain more than one poker room for players.
Although West Virginia has almost all forms of online gambling, one obvious admission is an online lottery, but that will be less important for most players as additional casinos and sportsbooks open.
Operator When Opened Partner Casino Online Products More Info DraftKings Casino July 2020 Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races Sportsbook, Casino Review FanDuel September 2019 The Greenbrier Sportsbook Review BetMGM January 2020 The Greenbrier Sportsbook, Casino Review
Online gambling in West Virginia is still in its infancy. Once the market has settled there could be over a dozen operators offering games, although the state’s relatively small population could keep some potential operators on the sidelines for now.
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West Virginia Online Gambling Frequently Asked Questions
While West Virginians can play land-based lottery, bingo and horse racing at age 18, you must be at least 21 years of age to gamble online in the state. When signing up at online casinos and online sportsbooks, you may be required to submit documentation or verify your age.
In addition to being the required age, you must also be physically located in West Virginia while you are betting for real money. This includes out of state visitors. Online casinos and sportsbooks use geolocation tools to ensure you are actually in the state while you are wagering.
In order to offer online wagering to customers, operators must partner with existing West Virginia casinos. This has led to established online operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel joining forces with casinos such as The Greenbrier and Hollywood Casino.
The online gaming market in WV is regulated by the West Virginia Lottery Commission, which also licenses online casinos and online sportsbooks in the state.
One of the major benefits of regulated West Virginia online casinos is that they are required to meet strict requirements to ensure they keep the games safe and secure. Casinos are also required to make sure player funds are kept separate from operational funds, which means you will never have to worry about any WV casino running off with your money like some offshore sites have in the past.
In 2019, West Virginia lawmakers passed the WV Interactive Wagering Act, known as H 2934, which legalized most forms of online gambling including casinos, sportsbooks and poker.
Online operators have limited restrictions of what platforms they can and cannot offer to players. This allows players to access games and betting through their preferred internet browser or a dedicated app, where available. Players on both iOS and Android devices are able to access games.
West Virginia online gamblers are offered a variety of payment options to fund their accounts. The specific deposit and withdraw options will depend on the casino or sportsbook, but most operators offer credit card deposits, bank transfers, PayNearMe cash deposits and ewallets such as Paypal. To withdraw funds, players can use options such as paypal, bank transfers and checks.
As a state-endorsed program, West Virginia takes the issue of problem gambling seriously. The state has set up the Problem Gamblers Help Network, which has helped over 15,000 problem gamblers since 2000. You can contact them by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or through live chat. Help is available 24/7 and players may be referred to one of 70 therapists.