Legal sports betting in West Virginia became a reality in March of 2018. It was legalized even before the The Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which made sports betting legal on a state-by-state basis. Once that happened in May 2018 the state was quick to act and retail sports betting launched in September 2018 and West Virginia online sports betting launched December 2018.
This guide will give you all the info you need about legal sports betting in West Virginia. It will touch on tax and legal issues, what you can bet on, what betting restrictions are in place, the online sportsbooks available, the future of sports betting in the state, and a timeline of events. You will also see some commonly asked questions pertaining to West Virginia online sports betting as well as how to get started betting on your favorite sports in the Mountain State.
All legal sports betting options in West Virginia
The legal situation on West Virginia sports betting
West Virginia legalized sports betting when Governor Jim Justice signed bill SB415 into law in March 2018. That was before PASPA was overturned and when it was the law became active.
Before PASPA was overturned West Virginia, along with New Jersey, were the two states that challenged the federal government’s ruling that sports betting is illegal. In the first bill introduced about legalizing sports betting in West Virginia in H2751 it states, “Whereas our State Attorney General is challenging the usurpation of the federal government of state authority to regulate sports pool betting and has articulated in the briefs of the State of West Virginia in Cristie v. NCAA, 16-476, U.S. Supreme Court, that the U.S. Congress has no power to prevent state governments from authorizing sports betting as a form of gaming and therefore, the Legislature finds that it is reasonable and appropriate, for the State of West Virginia to proceed with legalizing sports pool betting pursuant to this article.”
The Mountain State was one of the very first states to have legal sports betting, In September 2018 retail sports betting went live and online sports betting went live in December 2018. In WV the online sportsbooks have to be partnered with land-based casinos.
BetLucky was the only online sportsbook available at the time of launch and in March 2019 it ceased operations leaving WV bettors without any options. The company’s partnered casino in Delaware North split with its sports betting provider, which is why they left the market. Online sports betting did not resume until August 2019 when FanDuel and DraftKings went live. As of May 2022 there are seven licensed online sportsbooks in West Virginia.
West Virginia is one of only a few states that have legal online sports, poker, and casino gambling.
The West Virginia Lottery Commission is the body that oversees all retail and online gambling operations in the state. There is a $100,000 license fee for an online sportsbook and that has to be renewed for the same fee every five years. The state has a 10% sports betting tax fee on gross revenue. Since launching, West Virginia has taken in a little more than $11.1 million in taxes from sports betting.
🛑 What you can’t bet on from online sportsbooks in West Virginia
In West Virginia you can bet on in-state college teams and the state has some major sports programs such as University of West Virginia and Marshall. There is a restriction on betting on college proposition wagers for both team and player. Esports betting was legalized in the Mountain State in March 2022.
Here are the restrictions on what you cannot bet on in West Virginia:
- Entertainment bets such as for the Emmys and Oscars
- Political bets such as the U.S. presidential election
- Any college proposition bet
🟢 What you can bet on from online sportsbooks in West Virginia
- NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, NCAA Baseball
- Major Domestic Leagues, including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, MLB, MMA, UFC, etc.
- Major International Leagues, including England Premier League, Italy Serie A, Spain La Liga, etc.
- Major sports events, including NBA playoffs and finals, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup, The Masters, Olympics, etc.
- Most betting types, including spreads, moneylines, totals (over/under), parlays, futures, proposition bets (pro sports no college props), and live bets.
- eSports
What is the tax situation in West Virginia
West Virginia levies a 10% tax on gross revenue from sports betting, both retail and online. After paying for administrative costs for the state’s sports betting industry the rest of the tax funds from sports betting go to the State Lottery Fund. They then allocated the funds to schools, care for senior citizens, and tourism programs in the state. Since legal sports betting launched in WV in September 2018 the state has taken in over $11.1 million in sports betting taxes.
All the available sportsbooks in West Virginia
- FanDuel
- DraftKings
- BetMGM
- Barstool Sports
- Betly Sportsbook
- PointsBet
- Caesars
Forecasts about the future of online gambling in West Virginia
The future is very bright for online and retail sports betting in the Mountain State. Each of the five state licensed casinos and racetracks in West Virginia can have up to three skins each, so they can have three online sportsbooks. There are seven now with the possibility of 15 total. It will not be long before more bookies are in the WV market, considering the success of online sportsbooks in the state.
There are also five retail sportsbooks available in West Virginia and they are located at:
- Hollywood Casino
- Mardi Gras Casino
- Mountaineer Casino
- Wheeling Island
- The Casino Club at the Greenbrier
Not only is sports betting thriving in West Virginia but so is online casino and online poker gambling. Some of the online sportsbooks also offer online casino and online poker gambling and you can wager on all three things through one account. On top of that West Virginia is a state that also has horse and dog racing. The first four casinos in the list above also have racetracks.
Timeline of main events in West Virginia
- March 2022 – eSports betting in West Virginia legalized
- August 2019 – Online betting resumes with DraftKings and FanDuel launching their brand in West Virginia
- March – WV’s only online sportsbook BetLucky ceases operation leaving bettors with no options to bet on sports online
- December 2018 – online sports betting launches
- September 2018 – Retail sports betting launches
- May 2018 – Sports betting active but not live right after PASPA overtuned
- May 2018 – The Supreme Court overturns Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which made sports betting legal on a state-by-state basis
- March 2017 – Sports betting legalized with passing of bill SB415
How do I start betting online in West Virginia
Bettors in West Virginia will be happy to know that starting to bet online in the state is a very quick and easy process. The first step is to choose one of the state’s licensed online sportsbooks and register for an account. Then the sportsbook will have to verify your identification. To do this you will give the bookie information such as:
- Full Name
- Birthday
- Social Security Number
- Personal verification information
Once the ID verification process is complete the sportsbook will send you a confirmation email saying the process was successful. Then you can go to the sportsbook you chose and begin to bet on your favorite sports.
If you like to play poker and casino games online it is a good idea to check the WV sportsbooks to see if they have those betting options as well.
FAQs
The West Virginia Lottery Commission regulates all online and retail gambling activities in the state.
Yes. If you check out odds from DraftKings WV with another state where DraftKings is live they will be exactly the same. The odds from different sportsbooks may be different but not by much at all.
One difference is that unlike a few other states you can bet on in-state college teams such as the University of West Virginia, but college prop bets are restricted. WV is also one of the handful of states that has legal sports, casino, and poker betting. You have a lot of betting options as well in West Virginia, as there is not only sports, casino, and poker betting but also horse and dog race betting, Daily Fantasy Sports, and you can also bet on eSports.
Yes. West Virginia legalized sports betting when Governor Jim Justice signed bill SB415 into law in March 2018. That was even before PASPA was overturned and when it was the law became active and retail sports betting launched in September 2018 and online sports betting launched in December 2018.
You must be 21 years old to gamble on sports in West Virginia.
If you are at least 21 years old you can bet on sports online at any of the state-licensed sportsbooks. As of May 2022 there are seven online sportsbooks available.
No. You do not need to be a resident of WV to bet at a West Virginia online sportsbook but you must be located within state lines to make wagers.
Yes. You can access your West Virginia online sportsbook account from out of state but you must be in it to make bets. Still, outside of the Mountain State you can do such things as check the odds, make deposits and withdrawals, and contact customer service.