West Virginia

Ever since 2018, sports bettors have been able to sing the line “Take me home, West Virginia,” as the Mountain State was one of the first to offer online sports betting. Since 2018, the state has become home to five retail sportsbooks and nine online sportsbooks.

There are no professional sports teams in West Virginia, which leaves the West Virginia Mountaineers as the primary team for fans across most sports. Through the state's sports betting legislation, Mountaineers fans can wager on their favorite team, as there are no betting restrictions for both professional and collegiate sports in WV.

Bettors who are more into eSports are also in luck, as the state legalized betting on the market in April of 2022 through HB 4826. Other gambling-related markets that are legal in the Mountain States include daily fantasy sports apps and the ability to bet on horse racing either in person or online.

Online sports betting in The Mountain State

Before PASPA was even overturned, West Virginia was in hot pursuit of getting a sports betting bill signed into law. Delegate Shawn Fluharty introduced a sports betting bill in 2017 and then reintroduced that same bill, HB 2751, the following year. Despite his strong efforts, a bill titled SB 415 was the one that made it through both the Senate and House.

This bill received no action from the Justice of WV, but without a signature or veto, it still passed. This gave way to online sports betting in December 2018, just a few months after retail betting had already been launched.

Sports bettors in West Virginia have been basking in gambling paradise since then. By passing SB 415, The Mountain State established a simple sports betting market through the five casinos that were already in operation before this bill was passed.

In order to join the market in the Mountain State, online operators were required to partner with one of these five casinos that were granted a sports betting license. These operators could ultimately be sharing a retail partner, but in total, the state will allow up to 15 online skins to enter the market.

While each retail location could partner with three online operators, lawmakers in WV still felt that expanding the market could make it even better. This resulted in an attempt to take sports betting licenses away from the five casinos, but unsurprisingly, the casinos detested this motion, and this attempt by lawmakers was unsuccessful.

In total, entering 2024, there are currently nine mobile betting apps available for bettors in WV. These apps include Betly, Caesars, BetRivers, ESPN Bet, Golden Nugget, and more.

All legal WV sports betting apps in 2024 (from newest to oldest):

Sports betting & gambling legislation in WV

The ability to place a legal sports wager in West Virginia is not strictly limited to residents. Anyone who happens to be passing through the Mountain State and is within state lines can place a bet. Additionally, a bettor must also be at least 21 years old to legally place a wager either online or at the casino.

Residents of West Virginia or bettors who happen to be passing through are also not required to be on-site at one of the state's five casinos to create a mobile betting account with one of their partnered online operators. Remote registration is fully available to all bettors who are of legal gambling age.

Another facet of the state's sports betting scene is the tax rate. When a bettor’s winnings exceed $5,000, then they are subject to a 6.5% tax rate on the state level and the typical 24% federal tax rate. Of course, if a bettor wants to gamble in other ways outside of sports betting, they have the choice to access online casinos, online poker, and the state lottery, which are all regulated by the West Virginia Lottery.

Most recent updates from the WV sports betting scene

• April 27, 2024: The West Virginia Mountaineers have concluded spring practice with their Gold-Blue Spring Game. Currently, the Mountaineers' win total is set at 6.5, and they are (+1900) to win the Big 12 Title game.

• March 14, 2024: iGaming numbers in the state have continued to increase as West Virginia saw a 15.7% increase in iGaming handle from January to February.

• February 28, 2024: House Bill 4700 has passed through the House in West Virginia. The bill was created to protect athletes, coaches, and officials from sports bettors. A similar bill was passed in Ohio during their 2023 legislative sessions.

• November 17, 2023: Fanatics Sportsbook, who acquired PointsBet, has officially launched in West Virginia through a mobile sportsbook and iGaming platform.

• September 27, 2023: The West Virginia Lottery has fined a sports gaming company for reaching out to bettors in the state that had self-excluded themselves from receiving promotional gambling info. Gamewise will now be forced to pay a $7,000 civil penalty.

• April 11, 2023: After a down month in terms of handle, West Virginia saw an increase of 8.3% in that area in the month of March.

• March 30, 2023: DraftKings' new horse racing app, DK Horse, is now live in West Virginia and 11 other states.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

West Virginia’s five commercial casinos are the only locations in the entire state that were given the ability to apply for a sports betting license when SB 415 was passed in 2018. Each of these casinos had been in business long before the state was able to get sports betting legislation passed.

Out of the five, The Greenbrier is the most exclusive, as customers must either stay in the hotel on the premises or be a member of their club in order to access their sportsbook, which is run by FanDuel.

Sports betting in neighboring states

West Virginia residents do not have to travel far to find another location where they can place a legal sports wager. All five of West Virginia’s neighboring states offer a mix of retail and online wagering, most of which can be done on the same sports betting apps that are available in WV.

To find out what specific sportsbooks are active in each of West Virginia’s surrounding states, click on their name in the box underneath this section.

Sports betting revenue impact on West Virginia's economy

West Virginia operates its licensing system similarly to many states, with sports betting legalized. The five casinos in the state are the only organizations that can apply for a license. These casinos can partner with up to three online operators through their licenses.

Each license has a $250,000 fee up front and lasts five years. When those five years are up, the renewal fee is $100,000. All operators in the state are also subject to a tax rate of 10%, which is considered average compared to the rest of the market.

Every year that goes by with legalized sports betting, West Virginia’s yearly numbers for handle, revenue, and tax income continue to increase. With a strong mix of mobile betting apps and retail locations, the betting market in the Mountain State is set for sustained success for years to come.

Top 3 sportsbooks in the state in April 2024:

1. The Greenbrier (Fanduel & BetMGM): Handle: $15.3m, Revenue: $2m)

2. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town (DraftKings, Fanatics Sportsbook, & ESPN BET): Handle: $13.4m, Revenue: $1.4m)

3. Mountaineer Casino (Caesars & BetRivers): Handle: $2m, Revenue: $120,000)

West Virginia sports betting record months:

• Sports betting handle: November 2021 ($88,190,136)

• Revenue: December 2022 ($8,060,617)

• Tax income: December 2022 ($806,062)

WV sports betting revenue in 2024