West Virginia Sports Betting: Legal WV Sportsbooks, Apps & Laws

• ✓ Legal Fully legal and regulated, both retail and online, live since 2018 — the fifth state to launch after the federal ban fell.
• ① Eight apps Eight online sportsbook brands are firmly active, tied to the state’s five casinos (up to 15 skins are allowed).
• ⛪ Retail Five casino sportsbooks operate; four are racinos, and West Virginia is the only state still hosting live greyhound racing.
• 🏈 College allowed Betting on college sports, including WVU and Marshall and college player props, is permitted.
• ⚠ 21 and in state You must be 21 or older and physically inside West Virginia, confirmed by geolocation; residency is not required.

Yes. Sports betting is fully legal and regulated in West Virginia, both at retail sportsbooks inside the state’s five casinos and online through licensed mobile apps. The state has operated a live market since 2018, when it became one of the first in the country to legalize and the fifth to launch after the federal ban fell. For a full state-by-state breakdown, see our guide to states with legal sports betting.

The activity was authorized by Senate Bill 415, the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act, which became law in March 2018 and is codified in the state code at Chapter 29, Article 22D. The West Virginia Lottery Commission licenses operators, writes the operating rules, tests and audits the books, and regulates the entire market. Under the statute, every sports wager placed in the state is legally a West Virginia Lottery game owned by the State of West Virginia, with the casino licensee acting as the Commission’s agent. That ownership framing is unusual, and it explains why the rules are as detailed as they are.

There are two ways to bet. You can wager in person at a retail sportsbook inside any of the five casinos, or you can bet online through a licensed app or website from anywhere in the state. Permitted markets cover professional sports, college sports including in-state teams such as West Virginia University and Marshall, and esports. Betting on high school and youth sports, political outcomes, entertainment awards and the weather is not allowed. To bet legally you must be at least 21 years old and physically located within West Virginia when you place a wager; you do not need to be a state resident, and every sportsbook confirms location using geolocation. You can register, verify your identity and deposit from out of state, but the bet itself must be placed in West Virginia. The state also licenses online casino gaming, daily fantasy sports, online horse racing and poker, and federally regulated prediction markets are accessible as well.

West Virginia Sports Betting Quick Facts

Under state law, only West Virginia’s five licensed casinos can hold a sports wagering license, and each casino may run up to three online “skins,” or branded sportsbook apps, through approved management services providers. State rules require each skin to display the logo of the casino that holds the license. That structure allows for as many as 15 online sportsbooks, though the active lineup has settled at eight brands. Every licensed book carries the same baseline protections: segregated player funds, audited systems, geolocation and identity verification, enforced responsible-gambling tools and a state regulator standing behind it. Where they differ is in app quality, odds, market depth, promotions and loyalty programs, which is why many bettors keep accounts at more than one book.

More Licensed West Virginia Online Books

BetRivers

BetRivers launched its West Virginia sportsbook on June 7, 2022 through an online-only partnership with Mountaineer Casino, using Kambi odds. It is built around the iRush Rewards loyalty program, which rewards regular play, and offers same-game parlays and frequent odds boosts. The app is straightforward, if less feature-rich than the largest competitors.

theScore Bet

theScore Bet debuted in West Virginia on Dec. 1, 2025, replacing ESPN BET after Penn Entertainment and ESPN ended their partnership. ESPN BET had launched in the state in November 2023. The book runs through Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on Penn’s own platform, and former ESPN BET account balances and open bets carried over to theScore Bet.

Betly

Betly is the in-house brand of Delaware North, which owns Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras, and it runs on IGT technology. Betly took over the retail sportsbooks at both casinos in January 2020 and launched its mobile app in September 2020. At those two properties it is the successor to BetLucky, the state’s first online book.

All Legal Online Sportsbooks in West Virginia

Note on the count: some directories list nine West Virginia online sportsbooks. The difference is Golden Nugget, which has been listed through The Greenbrier on the DraftKings platform but has also been reported as wound down, so the firmly active lineup is the eight brands above. Operators have come and gone over the years, including PointsBet, Barstool, WynnBet and Golden Nugget.

Offshore sportsbooks are gambling sites based and licensed outside the United States, typically in jurisdictions such as Panama, Costa Rica, Curacao or Antigua, that accept wagers from American customers over the internet. They have served the United States market for decades. The first online sports bet in history was taken by an offshore operator in 1996, long before any state regulated the activity, and these sites built large American audiences during the years when betting was banned almost everywhere in the country. After the federal ban fell in 2018 and states began licensing their own books, the offshore sites did not disappear. They kept operating in the legal gray space they have always occupied, marketing heavily to United States bettors with oversized bonuses, cryptocurrency banking and markets that regulated books sometimes will not offer. They are reachable today by West Virginia bettors, often as mobile sports betting sites, but they are not the same as the licensed books above. A licensed West Virginia book answers to a state regulator; an offshore book answers to no one a West Virginia bettor can reach.

The Risks of Offshore Betting

• No state oversight or recourse. There is no West Virginia regulator to take a complaint if a bet is graded wrong, a withdrawal is delayed or an account is closed. Your only recourse is the site’s own internal process or a foreign licensing body that has no obligation to a United States customer.
• No guaranteed payouts. Licensed West Virginia operators must keep player funds in segregated accounts, post a surety bond and pass annual audits by a certified public accountant. Offshore sites are bound by none of that. If one decides not to pay, slow-walks a large withdrawal or simply shuts down, there is no state-backed protection.
• Stranded funds when a book exits. When an offshore book leaves a state, as Bovada did in West Virginia after the 2024 cease-and-desist, customers can be left with geo-blocked accounts and balances they cannot withdraw.
• Confusing, shifting bonus terms. Offshore welcome offers tend to be larger than regulated ones but carry steeper rollover requirements, higher minimum deposits and rules that can lock up funds, and those terms can change without the protections a licensed operator must follow.
• Weaker responsible-gambling safeguards. State-mandated tools such as deposit limits, loss limits, timeouts and self-exclusion are not guaranteed offshore, and West Virginia’s statewide self-exclusion list does not reach these sites.
• Thin identity and security protections. Regulated books verify identity and age and protect customer data under state rules. Offshore standards vary, and account or payment disputes can be hard to resolve from the United States.
• Tax reporting falls entirely on you. Offshore books do not report winnings to the IRS or issue a W-2G form, but you are still legally required to report all gambling income.

The sites below are among the offshore books frequently marketed to United States bettors. They are listed here for information only. Each operates without a West Virginia license, and the risks above apply to all of them. Bovada, historically the most prominent of these, no longer accepts West Virginia customers after the state’s 2024 cease-and-desist and is therefore not included.

West Virginia’s regulated sportsbooks offer the same major sports, live betting and mobile apps as the offshore sites, with the added protection of state oversight, segregated player funds, audited systems, enforced responsible-gambling tools and a regulator you can turn to if something goes wrong. With eight licensed options competing for your business, there is little reason to take on the risk of an unregulated site.

West Virginia has five licensed casino properties, and each operates a retail sportsbook where you can place bets in person, watch games and use staffed windows or self-service kiosks. Four of the five are racinos that also offer live horse or greyhound racing, and West Virginia is the only state that still hosts live greyhound racing. There are no tribal casinos in the state.

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

Located in Charles Town in the Eastern Panhandle, within reach of the Washington and Baltimore markets, Hollywood Casino is the state’s largest gaming property and the site of West Virginia’s first legal sports bet on Aug. 30, 2018. Owned by Penn Entertainment, it is a thoroughbred racetrack as well as a casino. The retail sportsbook, entered through the casino’s West Garage, features around 30 televisions, a jumbotron with 250-inch screens on three sides and a full food and drink menu. The property serves as the market-access partner for DraftKings, Fanatics and theScore Bet.

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort

In New Cumberland in the Northern Panhandle, Mountaineer opened the state’s first William Hill sportsbook in November 2018, which later rebranded to Caesars. Operated by Century Casinos, it is a thoroughbred racetrack and resort, and its sportsbook takes the full range of wagers including straight bets, parlays, futures, props, teasers and round robins. It is open seven days a week, until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and it is the market-access partner for Caesars and BetRivers online.

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack

Owned by Delaware North and located in Wheeling, this property opened a retail sportsbook in December 2018 under the BetLucky brand, then relaunched under Betly in 2020. The sportsbook has staffed betting windows and five self-service kiosks that accept wagers up to $1,000. Wheeling Island offers live greyhound racing alongside its casino and is one of the two homes of the Betly app.

Mardi Gras Casino and Resort

In Cross Lanes near Charleston, Mardi Gras is the other Delaware North property in West Virginia. Like Wheeling Island, it launched retail betting in December 2018 with BetLucky and now runs Betly. It is a greyhound racing venue and casino, and it accepts wagers on all major sports.

The Greenbrier

The Casino Club at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs is a private luxury resort rather than a public casino. By state law, its casino is open only to overnight resort guests, members of the Sporting Club or the Golf and Tennis Club, and attendees of an event when more than 400 rooms are booked, and it enforces a dress code. The retail sportsbook is run by FanDuel. Importantly, the FanDuel mobile app is open to everyone 21 and older statewide, even though the physical sportsbook is restricted. The Greenbrier is the market-access partner for FanDuel and BetMGM, and it is owned by the family of former Gov. Jim Justice, which is why he declined to sign the 2018 betting bill and allowed it to become law without his signature.

Sports betting in West Virginia is not just regulated by the state, it is owned by it. By statute, every sports wager is a West Virginia Lottery game owned by the State of West Virginia, and the licensed casino runs it as the Commission’s agent. That makes the West Virginia Lottery Commission both the regulator and, in effect, the proprietor of the games, which is why its oversight reaches into nearly every part of the operation. The Commission is the same agency that runs the traditional lottery, video lottery terminals, racetrack table games and online casino gaming. For sports betting it writes the rules, approves which operators and management services providers can participate, certifies the technology, monitors the betting and collects the state’s share of revenue. Day-to-day operating standards are spelled out in the Lottery’s Sports Wagering Rule (Legislative Rule Series 179-09) and in the Minimum Internal Control Standards.

Who Holds a License

Only the state’s five casinos can hold an operator license, and the Commission may issue no more than five. Around that core sit several other license types the Lottery controls:

• Operator license. Held by the casino, granting the right to run West Virginia Lottery sports wagering on site and through approved apps.
• Management services provider license. Held by the company that actually runs a sportsbook brand on the casino’s behalf, such as the operator behind a skin.
• Supplier license. Held by companies that provide the equipment, platforms or services that make the books run.
• Occupational license. Held by employees who work in sports wagering, such as a sports wagering pool manager.

Each online skin must display the logo of the casino that holds its license, so a bettor can always see which licensed property stands behind an app. The Lottery’s Licensing Division can be reached at 1-800-982-2274.

How the State Keeps the Market Honest

The Lottery enforces a layer of controls designed to protect bettors and the integrity of the games. Operators must verify each customer’s date of birth, legal name, home address and the last four digits of their Social Security number before an account can be used, and they must use geolocation to confirm a bettor is physically inside West Virginia at the moment a wager is placed. Player funds must be held in segregated accounts, each licensee must post a surety bond and submit an annual independent audit, and books must report suspicious or unusual betting to an approved integrity-monitoring system so that patterns pointing to match-fixing can be caught across operators. Offering credit to patrons to bet is prohibited, and licensed West Virginia books do not accept cryptocurrency.

Where the Money Goes

Operators pay a 10 percent privilege tax on their adjusted gross sports wagering receipts. That money flows into the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Fund and is distributed under W. Va. Code §29-22D-17 after the Lottery covers its administrative costs, with proceeds directed to state purposes. Sports betting is a modest contributor in the bigger picture: in fiscal year 2025 it sent about $5 million to the state, compared with roughly $49.8 million from online casino gaming, and the Lottery as a whole returns far more to West Virginia through education, senior services, tourism and other programs.

West Virginia started preparing for legal sports betting before it was allowed federally. In 2017 the state spent about $160,000 on a feasibility study, and Delegate Shawn Fluharty introduced early legislation, including a measure aimed at adding sports betting to the state framework in case the federal ban was overturned. The decisive bill was Senate Bill 415, the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act, which moved quickly through the Legislature in early 2018, passing the Senate 25 to 9 and the House 77 to 22.

Gov. Jim Justice did not sign SB 415. Because his family owns The Greenbrier, one of the five casinos that stood to benefit, he allowed the bill to become law in March 2018 without his signature to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. The Lottery Commission had its rulebook in place by June 2018, clearing the way to launch. West Virginia passed its law in anticipation of a federal change, and on May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in Murphy v. NCAA, ending the federal ban and freeing states to authorize sports betting. West Virginia was ready and became the fifth state to launch after the decision.

At about 11 a.m. on Aug. 30, 2018, the first legal sports bet in West Virginia was placed at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races: a $50 futures wager on the West Virginia University Mountaineers to win the national championship. Retail betting then spread to the other casinos, with The Greenbrier opening its FanDuel sportsbook in September 2018.

Online betting arrived on Dec. 27, 2018 with BetLucky, run at the two Delaware North casinos through technology partner Miomni. But in March 2019, BetLucky abruptly shut down amid a contract dispute between Miomni and a third-party supplier, which also forced the retail sportsbooks at Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras to close. West Virginia had no online sportsbook for roughly five months and lost the lucrative March Madness betting period. Delaware North dropped Miomni and later sued. Online betting returned for good in August 2019, when FanDuel and DraftKings launched within days of each other ahead of the NFL season. Since then the market has matured: BetMGM arrived in 2020, Caesars in 2021 and BetRivers in 2022, esports betting was added in 2022, and online casino gaming launched in 2020. ESPN BET launched in 2023 and was replaced by theScore Bet in late 2025. Today eight online brands and five retail sportsbooks operate across the state, and West Virginia is regarded as a small but stable, competitive market.

West Virginia Sports Betting Timeline

• 2017: State commissions a feasibility study and the first sports betting bills are introduced.
• March 2018: SB 415, the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act, becomes law without Gov. Justice’s signature.
• May 14, 2018: The United States Supreme Court strikes down PASPA in Murphy v. NCAA.
• June 2018: The Lottery Commission finalizes its sports wagering rules.
• Aug. 30, 2018: First legal West Virginia sports bet placed at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
• September 2018: The Greenbrier opens its FanDuel retail sportsbook.
• Dec. 27, 2018: BetLucky launches as the first online sportsbook.
• March 2019: BetLucky shuts down over a technology dispute, leaving no online betting for about five months.
• August 2019: FanDuel and DraftKings launch, restoring online betting.
• January 2020: BetMGM launches and Betly takes over retail at the Delaware North casinos.
• 2020: Online casino gaming launches in West Virginia.
• Aug. 5, 2021: Caesars launches, replacing William Hill.
• 2022: Esports betting is legalized (HB 4826) and BetRivers launches (June 7).
• November 2023: ESPN BET launches; Fanatics completes its takeover of PointsBet.
• Feb.–March 2024: The Legislature passes HB 4700, letting the Lottery ban bettors who harass athletes.
• July 3, 2024: West Virginia sends a cease-and-desist order to Bovada.
• 2025: Fixed-odds horse and dog racing is legalized (SB 576); FanDuel gains added market access through Delaware North.
• Dec. 1, 2025: theScore Bet replaces ESPN BET in the state.

Sports betting in West Virginia is governed by the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act, codified at W. Va. Code Chapter 29, Article 22D, and by the Lottery’s administrative rules. The West Virginia Lottery Commission oversees the market, issues licenses, collects fees and audits licensees at least once a year. Key provisions include:

• Who can be licensed. Only the state’s five casinos are eligible. The Commission may issue no more than five operator licenses, and each licensee may run up to three online skins through approved management services providers.
• License fees. The application fee for a sports wagering license is $100,000, the license runs for five years, and renewal costs $100,000 (W. Va. Code §29-22D-6). This is lower than the $250,000 fee for an online casino license under the separate Interactive Wagering Act.
• Taxes. Operators pay a 10 percent privilege tax on adjusted gross sports wagering receipts. The money flows into the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Fund and is distributed under W. Va. Code §29-22D-17, with proceeds supporting state purposes after the Lottery’s costs.
• What can be wagered on. The statute defines a “sports event” to include professional, collegiate, motor racing and esports competitions, and 2025 amendments added fixed-odds wagering on horse and dog racing.
• Consumer protections. Operators must post a surety bond, submit an annual audit by a certified public accountant, keep player funds in segregated accounts, verify each customer’s identity, report suspicious betting to an approved integrity-monitoring system and use geolocation to confirm bettors are inside the state.
• Age and location. Bettors must be 21 or older and physically within West Virginia.

The detailed operating rules sit in the Lottery’s Legislative Rule Series 179-09, the Sports Wagering Rule. Online casino gaming is governed separately by the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act (HB 2934, 2019), codified at Article 22E, which carries a $250,000 license fee and a 15 percent tax. General gambling offenses appear in the state Criminal Code at Chapter 61, Article 10.

• West Virginia Lottery, the state regulator, with sports wagering reports and self-exclusion forms.
• West Virginia Lottery licensing portal, including the Sports Wagering License List and Registrant List.
• West Virginia Lottery rules and regulations, including Rule 179-09 (Sports Wagering) and Rule 179-10 (Interactive Wagering).
• W. Va. Code Article 22D, the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act.
• W. Va. Code §29-22D-3, the definition of a sports event.
• W. Va. Code §29-22D-6, operator licensing and fees.
• W. Va. Code §29-22D-17, the Sports Wagering Fund and distribution of revenue.
• W. Va. Code Article 22E, the Interactive Wagering Act for online casino gaming.
• West Virginia Legislature, for the full text and history of Senate Bill 415 (2018).

West Virginia runs one of the more permissive markets in the country, but the Lottery Commission still draws clear lines around what you can bet on, who is allowed to bet and how the books must operate.

What You Cannot Bet On

Only events the Commission authorizes are open for wagering, and a handful of categories are specifically off the table:

• High school and youth sports. Wagering on amateur events below the college level is prohibited.
• Politics and elections. The Lottery Commission does not allow bets on political outcomes, including presidential elections.
• Awards and entertainment. Pop-culture markets such as the Academy Awards and other awards ceremonies are not permitted.
• Weather. Weather-related wagers are not allowed.
• Anything not approved. A market can be offered only if it falls within the statutory definition of a sports event or is otherwise authorized by the Commission.

There is also a timing rule for the NFL Draft: betting on the first round closes 24 hours before it begins, a measure meant to curb wagers placed on leaked information.

College Sports Betting Is Allowed

Unlike several neighboring states, West Virginia lets you bet on college sports, including in-state teams such as the West Virginia University Mountaineers and the Marshall Thundering Herd, and it permits college player prop bets. This is a notable difference from Virginia, which prohibits betting on its own in-state college teams. There are no special restrictions on player props or live betting in West Virginia.

Who Cannot Bet

• Anyone who has self-excluded from gambling in West Virginia.
• Anyone the Lottery Commission has placed on its exclusion list.
• Sportsbook operators and their employees, who may not bet with their own book, though they can bet with a competitor.
• Athletes, coaches, officials, referees and others connected to an event who could influence its outcome, on events they are involved in.
• Anyone whose participation could undermine the integrity of a wager or an event, or who is excluded for other good cause.

Betting Rules Every West Virginia Sportsbook Follows

• Integrity monitoring. Books must report suspicious or unusual betting to an approved integrity-monitoring system so that potential match-fixing can be flagged across operators.
• No betting on credit. Operators cannot extend credit to patrons to wager.
• Approved markets and house rules. Wagers and the data used to settle them must follow Commission-approved standards, and each book publishes house rules covering how bets are graded, voided or refunded.
• Kiosks in approved locations. Self-service betting kiosks may operate only in locations the Lottery Director approves.
• Advertising approval. The Lottery Director must approve operators’ advertising, and promotions cannot be predatory or aimed at minors or self-excluded players.
• Verification and location. Every customer’s identity and age are verified, and geolocation must confirm the bettor is inside West Virginia at the time of the wager.

Esports betting became legal in 2022 under HB 4826, which let licensed books take wagers on professional video game competitions, and the statutory definition of a sports event now names esports directly. In 2025, the state added fixed-odds wagering on horse and dog racing under SB 576. A 2024 law, HB 4700, gives the West Virginia Lottery Commission the power to bar bettors from wagering if they are convicted of harassing or threatening athletes, coaches or officials involved in sporting events.

West Virginia sportsbooks offer the full range of bet types: moneylines, point spreads, totals (over/under), parlays, same-game parlays, teasers, round robins, player and team props, and futures. You can bet on all major professional leagues, college sports and esports, and there are no restrictions on player props or live betting.

Teams West Virginians Follow

West Virginia has no major professional sports teams, so fans tend to follow nearby franchises. Popular picks include the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders in the NFL; the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA; the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals in MLB; and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL. College sports, led by the WVU Mountaineers and Marshall, draw heavy betting interest, especially during football and March Madness.

Live and In-Game Betting

All of the state’s licensed apps offer live, in-game betting, with odds that update continuously while a game is in progress. Many also offer cash-out, which lets you settle a wager early, and several books, including FanDuel, Caesars and Fanatics, provide live streaming of selected events.

The West Virginia Lottery publishes sports wagering figures regularly, reporting total handle (the amount wagered), gross gaming revenue (what sportsbooks keep after paying winners), hold (revenue as a share of handle) and tax collections. Mobile betting drives the large majority of activity. West Virginia is a smaller, steady market rather than a high-volume one. Cumulative handle since launch has passed $1.5 billion, but in fiscal year 2025 sports wagering sent only about $5 million to the state, far less than the roughly $49.8 million generated by online casino gaming.

Taxes on Your Winnings

The 10 percent tax described above is paid by operators, not by you. As a bettor, you should still understand how your own winnings are treated. West Virginia does not withhold state tax on sports betting winnings at the state level as long as you provide identification when you collect. If you do not provide identification, a casino is required to withhold 6.5 percent. At the federal level, gambling winnings are taxable, large payouts can trigger 24 percent federal withholding, and sportsbooks issue a W-2G form for qualifying wins. You are responsible for reporting gambling income on your federal and state returns. This is general information, not tax advice, so consult a tax professional about your situation.

The state’s licensed sportsbooks compete hard for new customers, and the specific offers change often, so always check an operator’s current terms before signing up. West Virginia rules require the Lottery Director to approve advertising and prohibit predatory bonus terms, which keeps offers relatively fair. Common offer types include:

• First-bet and bet-and-get offers. A qualifying first wager earns bonus bets, sometimes only if the bet wins and sometimes win or lose. Recent examples have included DraftKings (bet $5, get $200) and BetMGM (bet $10, get $150 if it wins).
• Deposit matches. The book matches a percentage of your first deposit in bonus funds up to a cap.
• Profit boosts and odds boosts. These raise the payout on selected wagers. Caesars, for example, has run a bet-$1, get-10 profit-boost-token offer.
• Loyalty programs. Ongoing rewards for regular play, including Caesars Rewards, MGM Rewards, FanCash and iRush Rewards.

Bonus bets are typically non-withdrawable, the stake is not returned with winnings, and offers carry conditions such as minimum odds, expiration dates and playthrough requirements. Read the fine print before you opt in, and consider holding accounts at more than one book so you can shop for the best line. For more, see our guide to sportsbook bonuses.

Mobile Sports Betting

Mobile betting is legal statewide and drives most of the wagering in West Virginia. You do not need to visit a casino. You only need to be physically inside the state, which apps verify through geolocation. The licensed apps are available for both iOS and Android, and most also offer full-featured websites. Registration is fully remote, so you can create an account, verify your identity and deposit from home, then place bets once you are located in state. You must be 21 or older.

Deposits and Withdrawals

Licensed West Virginia sportsbooks support a range of payment methods, including debit and credit cards, online bank transfers and ACH or eCheck, PayPal and other e-wallets, branded prepaid or Play+ cards, PayNearMe and cash at the casino cage. Minimum deposits are usually $5 to $10, and the fastest books advertise withdrawals within 24 hours, though some methods take several business days. Some banks decline gambling transactions or treat them as cash advances, so an occasional declined card is not unusual. Unlike offshore sites, regulated West Virginia operators do not accept cryptocurrency, and they keep customer funds in segregated accounts.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Fantasy contests are open to anyone 18 or up. West Virginia statute never addressed the format head-on, but a 2016 opinion from the attorney general concluded the games turn on skill and fall within the law, and the major operators all run contests here. There is a wrinkle around pick’em games: when a contest sets a player against the house, the state treats it as unlicensed wagering on sports, so the apps offering pick’em in the state have shifted to head-to-head formats among users that stay on the right side of the rules.

Prediction Markets

Federally regulated prediction markets, where users trade on the outcomes of events, are accessible to West Virginia residents. Platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket operate under federal commodities oversight rather than state gaming rules.

Online Casino and Poker

West Virginia is one of a handful of states with legal online casino gaming, authorized by the Interactive Wagering Act (HB 2934) in 2019 and launched in 2020. Online casino now generates far more state revenue than sports betting. BetRivers Poker is the only licensed online poker site currently operating in the state.

Horse Racing, Lottery and Charitable Gaming

Horse racing betting is legal and regulated by the West Virginia Racing Commission. Bettors can wager in person at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races and Mountaineer, while Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras offer live greyhound racing, and all four casinos offer simulcast wagering on out-of-state races. Online horse racing betting is available statewide to those 18 and older. The West Virginia Lottery, established in 1985, also sells tickets online through iPLAY accounts, casinos have operated since 1994 under the Racetrack Video Lottery Act, and charitable gaming such as bingo and raffles is permitted.

If betting stops being fun, there is help. State rules push licensed sportsbooks and casino apps to steer players toward support and to build in guardrails: limits on deposits, wagers and losses, cooling-off timeouts that run 24 to 72 hours, and the option to bar yourself entirely. Some of the money the state takes in from gambling feeds the West Virginia Compulsive Gamblers Treatment Fund, which in turn bankrolls the Problem Gambling Help Network. Helpline traffic has climbed as online play has spread, and in fiscal year 2023 more than a third of callers were younger than 35, a reminder to set limits, keep betting in the entertainment column rather than the income column, and walk away when you need to.

Self-Exclusion

If you need to step back, West Virginia lets you put yourself on an exclusion list for a year at the shortest. There are three ways to sign up: in person at the Lottery’s Charleston office or at a casino, by mail with the Lottery’s exclusion form, or from inside any licensed app. Two things are worth knowing going in. The ban is broad, reaching every kind of gambling the agency oversees rather than sportsbooks alone, and it does not lift on its own, so once the year passes you have to file to get back in. Anyone on the list who walks into a casino can be escorted out and cited for trespassing.

Last updated June 2026. You must be 21 or older to bet on sports in West Virginia. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.