West Virginia was one of the first states to legalize online sportsbooks and casino sites. The games are regulated by the state lottery through partnerships with casinos. This article covers the details of the games available and the requirements to play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you register for an account through a link on BetbyState, we may receive compensation. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many states had bills ready to go and had already legalized sports betting, pending the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)<\/a> ruling. West Virginia was one of those states. West Virginia sports betting became a thing when the state became the fifth in America to offer it. It was surprisingly quick to legalize sports betting<\/a> because it didn’t start the legislative process until 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a 6-3 decision in 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that the PASPA was unconstitutional. The PASPA was passed by Congress in 1992, and it banned sports betting throughout the United States. Sports betting was expected to bring massive revenue to states, so there was a lot of support for PASPA to be deemed unconstitutional. In the months leading up to the PASPA decision, members of the West Virginia Legislature introduced sports betting bills to prepare for the Supreme Court’s ruling. The 6-3 decision came in May of 2018, and this is when the West Virginia legislature began considering sports betting in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By August of 2018, West Virginia officially joined four other states in America to offer sports betting. So far, over 30 other states have followed West Virginia in legalizing sports betting. The first legal bet in West Virginia was placed on August 30, 2018. Since this date, West Virginia sports betting has propelled the state’s economy to new heights. The state approved mobile sportsbooks in the state, but these needed a land-based partnership as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This legalized mobile and retail sports betting. There were five original partnerships between sports betting companies and West Virginia casinos, but three of these fell apart and ended in lawsuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are currently five casinos that have partnered with sportsbooks in the state. The West Virginia Lottery<\/a> oversees sports betting. Sports bettors must be at least 21 years old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n West Virginia isn’t a massive state, ranking 38th in population with just under 1.8 million residents. This hasn’t stopped the state’s sportsbooks from putting up massive revenue numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the original bill, West Virginia put a 10% adjusted tax on sports betting revenue. Sports betting was only available in the state for three months of 2018. The 2018 total saw a handle of $33 million in three months. This allowed the books to collect $5 million in revenue, and with the tax rate, the state collected close to $500,000. The state considered this a win for the first three months, and the legislature was optimistic about future numbers from the sports betting industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearly every month in 2019 had a bigger individual handle than the three months in 2018. The biggest handle came in October of 2019 with a total of $37,022,626. The total handle for the entire year was over $226 million. This allowed the books to collect revenue of just under $20 million, which put $2 million into the hands of the state. This is a solid amount of money considering West Virginia’s size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2020 figures are available through September. This was set to be a record year, but the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the revenue numbers in the sportsbooks. April, May, and June of 2020 were very small handles, but the state has rebounded since these months. September had the biggest handle thus far, with a total of $77 million in bets placed. This gave the state close to $500,000 in a single month. In 2020 through September, the total handle was $251,555,606. This created close to $14 million in sportsbook revenue, with the state receiving close to $1.4 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2021, the state’s sports betting industry is projected to have its best year yet with what it has done in the late months of 2020. As of 2024, West Virginia sportsbooks wrote almost $2 billion in tickets and won $163 million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n West Virginia state law mandates all apps to have a partnership with a land-based casino. There are currently nine apps in the state that are available for players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DraftKings<\/a> and FanDuel<\/a> launched in August of 2019. BetMGM<\/a> was a little slower in the process. Its platform became available in the state in January of 2020. Eventually, BetRivers<\/a>, ESPN Bet, Caesars<\/a>, Fanatics, and Golden Nugget joined them. Betly launched in 2019, only to close and return as an IGT skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Welcome bonuses are available at many online sportsbooks including BetMGM<\/a>, Caesars<\/a>, and DraftKings<\/a>. Each book has a very similar layout. All books give players the ability to wager traditional bets like the moneyline, point spread, and over\/under.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Live betting capability is superior on these apps, unlike state-run apps in other legal states. In addition to this, each book gives players a large number of prop betting options, which makes them top-rated companies throughout the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since there are legal books in the state, there is competition to drive traffic to their platforms. DraftKings has done the best in the state thus far, but each app has a solid market of players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each sportsbook is different, but the best bettors in the state play on all three to garner the most bonus play money. More apps are expected to join these three in the future. This will continue to increase competition but give West Virginia bettors more opportunities to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All mobile apps that are available in West Virginia are associated with a retail casino. However, a retail sportsbook doesn’t need to offer a mobile app to take in-person sports wagers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n West Virginia currently offers five retail sportsbooks. They are located throughout the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All these sportsbooks are solid, but the Hollywood Casino and FanDuel Sportsbook at The Greenbrier stand above the rest of the books for different reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DraftKings Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino is the largest casino in West Virginia. Charles Town is very close to Washington, DC, and Baltimore, so the casino gets a lot of drive-in traffic from those areas. This was the first retail sportsbook that was introduced in the state in August of 2018. The most sports bets in the entire state are placed at DraftKings Sportsbook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The book accounts for close to three-quarters of the state’s entire retail sports betting revenue. This is remarkable considering there are four other books. DraftKings may have the biggest sportsbook in the state, but it’s far from the most unique. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The FanDuel Sportsbook at The Greenbrier Resort could be unlike all other books in the country. It’s a private legal sportsbook located at a member-only resort. It’s a luxury resort, and people who are lucky enough to enter the book have to understand that the etiquette isn’t the same as other sportsbooks. When you walk in, you may not even know it’s a sportsbook. It doesn’t look like anything like a sports bar. Also, don’t forget to show up in dress-code-appropriate attire if you’re a resort member. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other than The Greenbrier Resort, the rest of the sportsbooks are very similar. They have bars, televisions, betting kiosks, and live tellers. They look like classic sportsbooks and provide great betting energy for people looking to test their luck in West Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n West Virginia has a large sports betting presence in the country. Despite this, it doesn’t have a single professional sports franchise in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n West Virginia residents tend to favor the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL<\/a>. This is the closest city to the state that has an NFL team. You’ll also find Baltimore Ravens, Washington Football Team, and Philadelphia Eagles fans in the state, but they’ll be minute compared to people who support Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other Pittsburgh teams like the Pirates in Major League Baseball<\/a> and the Penguins in the NHL<\/a> are fan favorites. Despite this, you’ll find more Baltimore and Washington supporters in West Virginia when it comes to MLB, NBA<\/a>, and NHL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n West Virginia law allows people who bet in the state to wager on collegiate athletic teams. The fan-favorite college in the state is the West Virginia University Mountaineers. The Marshall University Thundering Herd is also popular, but the widespread love is not as substantial as it is for the Mountaineers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n West Virginia is a member of the Big 12 Conference in all its sports. The Mountaineers basketball team<\/a> has a storied tradition just like their football program<\/a>. The team has made 29 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and has gone to the Final Four twice. The Marshall football and basketball programs have not had nearly as much success as West Virginia. They are a member of Conference USA, which is a mid-major NCAA conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is sports betting legal in West Virginia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. West Virginia was the fifth state to enact sports betting in its state, which has been beneficial to the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is sports betting legal on mobile sportsbooks?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. There are currently nine companies that offer mobile sportsbooks in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you bet on college sports in the state?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. West Virginia is identical to Pennsylvania in this regard. Bettors can wager any NCAA team that a sportsbook offers. This includes hometown college teams like West Virginia and Marshall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are offshore books available in the state?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, but they’re illegal. Never use an offshore book when sports betting is legal in your state because they’re known to give bettors difficulty in many different areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can I make the same bets on my mobile app as if I am at a retail sportsbook?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. Since all apps pair up with a casino, you’re able to make the same bets. The companies have the same odds and wager types for their mobile and in-person book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have to be a resident of West Virginia to use one of its sportsbooks?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n No. Anyone can download DraftKings, FanDuel, or BetMGM Sportsbook on their mobile device. However, you must be in the state to make a bet and receive your payout. The apps use your phone’s GPS capability to track your location and ensure that you’re in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How old do you need to be to place a bet in West Virginia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n West Virginia has some 18-year-old gambling options, but you must be 21 years of age to bet on sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who is in charge of sports betting in West Virginia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The West Virginia Lottery runs sports betting in the state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like its neighbor Pennsylvania<\/a>, West Virginia offers online casinos<\/a> in conjunction with online sportsbooks. You will find that almost all of the West Virginia sports betting brands also operate online casinos. Just like you will experience with sportsbooks, the online casinos in West Virginia come in different shapes and sizes, with every one of them offering something different from the rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Though there are more than these, the following are our top online casinos in West Virginia. You may discover that the game selection in West Virginia is smaller than what is found at Pennsylvania online casinos. That has more to do with WV’s size than anything with the casino site. It costs money to get games approved and licensing hundreds of titles does not make financial sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Presently, you likely think of sportsbooks the second you hear the FanDuel<\/a> brand name. Though the company was founded within the realm of daily fantasy sports, the rise in legal online sportsbooks has turned FanDuel into a household online sportsbook name. With that being said, it will come as little surprise to you that they also offer one of the top online casino products in West Virginia. Whether you fancy yourself a blackjack player or simply like to try your luck out on slots, FanDuel West Virginia has all that and then some.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unsurprisingly, the biggest single offering at FanDuel Casino West Virginia is slots. With well over 100 unique titles from game operators like Konami and Scientific Gaming, you can rest assured knowing that many of the same slots you will find on the floor of a physical casino also exist online. The same can be said of table games, as there are plenty of blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and casino poker games to choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While all of this is great, undoubtedly the best aspect of FanDuel Casino West Virginia is the live dealer casino. In case you are unfamiliar, live dealer online casino games are those that feature a live dealer and real, live action taking place on the screen in front of you. At FanDuel, live dealer games cover blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and a few versions of casino poker. Here, you can enjoy all the action and sounds of real casino play without ever having to leave your house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this wasn’t enough to sell you on FanDuel West Virginia, their welcome bonus for new bettors will. If you have never played at FanDuel Casino West Virginia, new players can play their first 24 hours in the casino for a loss rebate, of up to $1,000. This means that from the second your first casino action is played, you have 24 hours to win as much as possible or receive a rebate of up to $1,000. There is a playthrough requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike FanDuel, the MGM name has been a mainstay in the United States for the better part of the last 4 decades. BetMGM has a massive presence in just about every physical gambling destination, from Atlantic City to Las Vegas, and many places in between. With that being said, it really should come as no surprise that they boast one of the top online casino products in West Virginia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Concerning the overall online casino offering, BetMGM covers its bases well. The selection of slot games is expectedly robust, but what makes it player-friendly are the ways by which you can find the slot title you are looking for. Where other sites might simply list their slot titles on a seemingly endless page, forcing you to scroll and scroll until you spot your game, BetMGM organizes its games in a few different ways. In addition, there is also a helpful search function that will narrow things down to exactly what you are seeking out. <\/p>\n\n\n\nHistory Behind Legal Sports Betting in West Virginia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Financial History Behind Legal Sports Betting in WV<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sportsbook Apps in West Virginia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Retail Sportsbooks in West Virginia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Exclusive FanDuel Sportsbook Inside The Greenbrier Resort<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sports Teams to Bet on in West Virginia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
FAQ for Betting in West Virginia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Best Legal West Virginia Online Casinos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
FanDuel Pennsylvania Online Casino<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
BetMGM West Virginia Online Casino<\/h3>\n\n\n\n