US West Virginia Online Casinos
Legal casino gambling age in West Virginia: 21
The fourth U.S. state to give the green light to online casino gambling, West Virginia is now home to a robust iGaming industry with high growth potential.
Even though the road to legalization was neither easy nor smooth, the wheel of fortune took a favorable turn when least expected, marking the beginning of a new era for players in the Mountain State.
For West Virginia, which traditionally maintains a poor economic position compared to other states, the online gaming sector is a significant source of revenue. No doubt, the financial side did play an important role in the whole story but it is not only the government that benefited. Fans of Vegas-style entertainment got the opportunity to play slots, roulette, blackjack, poker, and other popular casino games from the comfort of their homes.
Even though West VA is small in terms of territory size, closing the circuit of the ten smallest U.S. states, the mountain terrain does not really make it the easiest area to get around. That’s why the possibility of distant gambling, which eliminates the need for a long drive to a brick-and-mortar venue, is, perhaps, more important here than in some other states.
Rocky Path to Legit Online Casino Industry
The history of legalized gambling started in the Mountain State back in 1931 with the creation of the West Virginia Racing Commission intended to regulate pari-mutuel horse and greyhound race betting.
Founded under the provisions of Chapter 19, Article 23, Section 1, of the Code of WV amended the same year, the Commission was charged with “the promotion of thoroughbred horse and greyhound dog breeding in the state” and was given “full jurisdiction over and shall supervise all horse race meetings, all dog race meetings, and all persons involved in the holding or conducting of horse or dog race meetings”.
For several decades, racing remained the only type of allowed betting activities. It was not until 1984 that a statewide referendum approved a State Lottery, which was legalized by Arch A. Moore Jr. a year later when he signed the West Virginia Lottery Act into law. It’s safe to say that January 9, 1986, became a milestone date in the history of the state as it was the very first time people could buy lottery tickets. Moreover, they obviously gladly used that opportunity as more than 1,5 million were sold.
Then, in 1994, came the long-anticipated legalization of land-based casinos, bringing along a plethora of new opportunities for well-established racetracks, which were mainly established at the beginning of the 20th century. Now, they could offer slot machines while table games followed suit more than a decade later – only in October 2007, racetracks started to operate popular table games.
When it comes to online gambling, the first attempt to legalize this form of betting activities was made in 2017 but failed. At that time, not many people would bet on the bright future of iGaming in the Mountain State, and certainly nobody expected positive progress to happen too fast. If in February 2019, everything seemed to be put on hold, March delivered amazing news - the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act successfully passed!
According to sources well-versed in the then situation, delegate Shawn Fluharty is the one who played a significant role in the whole story, contributing to the sudden progress by introducing online gambling options over and over again. Well, there is one more interesting moment represented by the fact that Jim Justice, one of the wealthiest people in the United States and WV governor, owns a fashionable Greenbrier Casino, which he bought in 2009.
Anyway, right after the passing of the Wagering Act, the members of the WV Lottery Commission rolled up their sleeves to create a viable regulatory framework for all future activities. It took them around fifteen months and in July 2020, DraftKings made its debut in the newly-opened market of West Virginia, soon followed by other online casinos.
WV Gaming Authority & Regulations
The Lottery Commission, which was officially founded in 1985 to “assist and advise the director of the Lottery and to carry on a continuous study of West Virginia Lottery operations”, is the only authority in charge of licensing and overseeing all online casinos in the state.
It is required to consist of seven members, five of them should comply with specific conditions and be a lawyer, a certified public accountant, a computer expert, and a marketing specialist while one member needs to have at least five years of experience in law enforcement. Another two members represent the "public at large" and are not subject to strict requirements.
For the sake of political fairness and ethical awareness, no more than four members of the Commission are allowed to be from the same political party. The standard term is five years, however, members are eligible to have successive appointments.
To obtain a license, every gaming website has to strike a partnership with a brick-and-mortar casino located within the territory of West Virginia. Each land-based venue is allowed to have three partners, meaning that with a current number of five physical casinos, there may be up to fifteen web-based platforms that offer slots, roulette, blackjack, poker, and other Vegas classics.
The tax rate for operators has been set at 15%, which is 50% more than that on online sportsbooks but still can be considered reasonable. Obtaining a license costs $250,000 in the form of an application fee while an additional $100,000 has to be paid for a license renewal every five years.
Who Can Play at West Virginia Online Casinos?
Just like in other regulated U.S. markets, players have to be at least 21 years old to gamble online.
The other requirement is location – only customers with a physical presence within the territory of the state can open accounts and deposit funds. In case you were wondering, the location is verified with the help of the GPS chip on mobile devices or, alternatively, players can download a geolocation plugin to their desktop computers.
For the avoidance of doubts, players do not have to live in West Virginia to play at local gaming websites, they just have to be present within the state’s borders. And vice versa, it is not enough to be a WV resident if you want to play while visiting other states.
WV Online Casino Bonuses
It is hard to imagine modern gambling without tons of bonuses and promotions typically offered by online casinos with the goal of attracting new and retaining existing customers.
Of course, someone may think that the WV market is pretty small, therefore operators do not face the challenges of high competition between hundreds of gaming platforms and, as a result, do not have to go the extra mile in terms of incentives. Well, to the delight of punters in the Mountain State, they can count on a wide variety of perks that range from lucrative welcome packages and numerous deposit-match deals to cashback and bonus spins.
No deposit offers are also part of the experience at West Virginia internet casinos, many places would provide this sought-after treat as a sign-up deal, letting future patrons test the winning potential of their slots and live dealer games. The majority of websites will also provide loyalty benefits for all registered patrons, rewarding their every bet with comp points that can later be turned into cash or bonuses.
Naturally, high-rollers can expect truly royal treatment and exclusive privileges that often go beyond the online world. Among such perks are limousine rides, invitations to hot ticket events, and even weekend stays at luxurious brick-and-mortar casinos.
WV Online Casino Games
Bonuses are a great motivation, however, they would hardly attract many players in the absence of a massive and diverse gaming library. Luckily, WV casinos do not have a shortage of suppliers who make sure that the virtual shelves are always chock-full of differently-themed slots, interesting blackjack variants, and immersive live game shows.
From Evolution, which went live in West Virginia in the Summer of 2022 to debuted a year later Play’n GO - an array of the industry’s leading developers consider the state a great place to be. Long story short, whatever your taste in real-money entertainment, you will have no problems finding your perfect match, be it a feature-packed slot machine or live craps. Things get even better when you consider the fact that online games offer traditionally higher payout percentages than their land-based counterparts.
Responsible Gambling
Keeping pace with the latest industry trends and trying to provide a fair and healthy gambling environment to every player, online casinos licensed in West Virginia place great emphasis on responsible gaming. Registered customers can take advantage of specially designed tools and features, which can help them enjoy their favorite pastime without breaking their bankroll.
Besides the opportunity to set deposit limits and adjust gameplay accordingly, players also get the option of self-exclusion for a certain period of time. In addition to that, those who feel the need for professional support can receive it 24/7 by phone or online.
Further Reading
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