While West Virginia isn’t a state that many would associate with wagering, West Virginia sports betting has, surprisingly, one of the strongest sets of betting options in the United States. With West Virginia sportsbooks available both in person and online, bettors have more than their fair share of options in the Mountain State. In this guide to West Virginia sports betting, find out everything you need to know about betting on sports in WV, including what legal sports betting options currently exist.
Bettors are able to enjoy action on a number of types of sporting events in West Virginia. WV sports betting allows for wagering on major professional sport such as the NFL, including the Super Bowl, NBA, MLB and NHL. There is also the ability to bet on college sports, including games featuring the West Virginia Mountaineers among other top-flight programs.
In terms of the types of bets that can be placed at sports betting sites and land-based sportsbooks, the list of options is similarly long. Bettors can place straight bets or parlays, covering point spreads, moneylines, totals and a vast number of prop and futures wagers. With all of the markets up for grabs, there are certainly a large number of ways to earn a payout in WV.
Online gambling is the most efficient form of sports betting, as bettors are able to use online sportsbooks to place bets as quickly as possible to get the best possible lines. In West Virginia, mobile sports betting is an option, with some of the biggest names in the industry offering apps to players. Here is a list of the sports betting apps up for grabs in West Virginia.
By state law, each of the active sportsbooks listed above must be licensed through a physical wagering location. For example, DraftKings is licensed through Hollywood Casino Charlestown, FanDuel operates through The Greenbrier, and BetMGM is also licensed by The Greenbrier.
While there are five mobile sports betting options to choose from, bettors can also take on a number of retail sportsbooks throughout West Virginia as well. These locations are useful for bettors who would prefer to bet somewhere and sit down and watch the sporting events unfold. Here is a list of the physical sports betting locations in West Virginia.
Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island almost dropped off of this list of retail sportsbooks, as the Delaware North casinos ran into issues with Miomni over their sports betting technology. However, they transitioned over to IGT after those problems surfaced, and are back up and running along with Hollywood Casino and the rest of the active physical locations. These casinos are located near the state borders, near neighboring states like Ohio and Kentucky.
| Land-based Casino | Legal & Regulated |
| Land-based Horse Racing | Legal & Regulated |
| Land-based Lottery | Legal & Regulated |
| Online Betting | Legal & Regulated |
| Online Lottery | Legal & Regulated |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | Legal & Regulated |
| Minimum Gambling Age | 21+ |
| Land-based Betting | Legal & Regulated |
| Land-based Poker | Legal & Regulated |
| Online Casino | Legal & Regulated |
| Online Poker | Legal & Regulated |
| Online Horse Racing | Legal & Regulated |
| Social Gambling | Legal & Regulated |
West Virginia sports wagering was first looked at in 2017, with a study being commissioned to look into what kind of impact it would have on the state as a whole. In 2018, that study was revisited thanks to the decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn PASPA, which had federally banned sports betting previously.
In February of 2018, a bill to legalize sports betting was passed, without the signature of governor Jim Justice. That bill included the legalization of mobile betting, allowing fantasy sports giants like DraftKings and FanDuel to get involved with the state, where they remain to this day. Despite attempts to get the state to give a portion of revenue to sports leagues like Major League Baseball, the bill went through as planned and has allowed the West Virginia Lottery Commission to oversee legal sports betting since.
When it comes to sports betting rules in West Virginia, the West Virginia Lottery Commission oversees things. And the most notable item it oversees is the legal online betting activity that takes place throughout the state. Just like New Jersey and nearby Pennsylvania, the most important rule is that bettors are allowed to take on online sports betting the same way that they can play casino and table games on the internet in those states.
Bettors should also keep in mind that they must be 21 or older to wager in West Virginia, as that age requirement is strictly enforced in its casinos and online sportsbooks. And if a West Virginia bettor has a gambling problem, they are encouraged to call 1-800-GAMBLER.
