West Virginia Sportsbook

While there have been legal West Virginia sportsbooks available on the Internet via overseas, offshore services for decades, there hasn’t been a way to access local WV betting shops inside state borders. Thanks to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), no other state except Nevada could legally offer sports betting of any kind to their residents (except horse racing betting, which was carved out and allowed to be regulated by each state itself).

Thankfully, PASPA was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2018, leading the way to legal West Virginia sportsbooks operating inside the state. However, it will likely take several months (and potentially more than a year) before online sports betting is available in WV, and – in the meantime – it remains 100% legal to continue using offshore sportsbooks and betting shops like Bovada, SportsBetting, BetOnline, 5Dimes, BetDSI, and other top West Virginia service providers.

BetMGM sportsbook launched in West Virginia on January 21, 2020, as the second of a possible three skins on The Greenbrier’s license. However, since it’s not the retail sportsbook sponsor at The Greenbrier (FanDuel), you can’t deposit or withdraw in person at the casino. BetMGM exists in West Virginia entirely online. The West Virginia sportsbook handle is doing better in November than in previous months. Many per head sportsbook owners have been seeing good numbers, and a consistent growth in terms of betting action. But West Virginia had a hiccup in October. The state bettors did bet more in November, with a total handle of $48,532,442.

PASPA has a storied history, from its shortsighted introduction and botched implementation to the obvious fact that it was wildly unconstitutional from the start yet remained completely ignored by congress. Fortunately, the law has finally been struck down. However, it remains to be seen how the recent Supreme Court ruling on PASPA impacts sports betting in West Virginia. There are several unknowns to consider, and many of these variables could potentially lead to drastically different implementations of on-land and online sports betting in the region. There are also the effects of PASPA on offshore sportsbooks to consider, as these could range from minimal to catastrophic and everywhere in between.

First and foremost, the SCOTUS decision to overturn PASPA (6-3) is what opened the door to state-based regulation of all sports betting within that state’s borders. West Virginia closely watched the case during its years going through the federal court system, and they anticipated the law’s dismissal. As such, they themselves already had a legal framework in place – passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor – to allow sports betting in West Virginia (SB 415). With the preemptive law in the works and the downfall of PASPA, it was only a matter of time before legal sports betting in West Virginia was able to launch. The first West Virginia sportsbook opened its doors on September 1st, 2018 at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, with full-scale, single-game wagering on a wide range of sports. That said, whatever online component the state is planning will likely take longer to roll out to the populace, so for maximum convenience, offshore, legal West Virginia sportsbooks (Bovada et al.) are the way to go.

Of course, there’s a chance that – down the road – the PASPA ruling could have deleterious effects on the overseas bookmaking business. The state could bar residents from accessing such sites in order to force them to use a WV-sanctioned solution, or the WV government could simply pass laws prohibiting the placing of sports bets with such services in the first place.

Of course, it’s equally likely that the state will do nothing to combat its overseas competition, relying instead on the convenience and patriotism factors associated with “betting at home.” It also remains to be seen whether or not local WV sports betting shops will accept cryptocurrencies, as that could be a major differentiator between West Virginia sports betting and offshore sports betting (where all the top sites already take Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, etc.).

More:Federal Sports Betting Laws

Currently, West Virginia has passed one law – SB 415, or the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act (signed March 3, 2018) – that addresses sports betting inside state borders. In fact, of all the first states to employ sports betting legislation of any kind in the wake of PASPA’s elimination, West Virginia’s bill is by far the most comprehensive.

First and foremost, SB 415 makes it clear that the state will permit wagering “on the results of certain professional or collegiate sports or athletic events” and that the duties to regulate this new betting industry fall to the West Virginia Lottery, an already-established government gaming agency. Licensees granted the right to offer WV sports betting will have to pay a service fee of $100,000 to the West Virginia Lottery every five years to keep their licenses active.

The law also suggests that those operating legal West Virginia sportsbooks will be charged a weekly “privilege tax” of 10% of the adjusted gross sports wagering receipts. This is a much heavier taxation rate than that employed at Las Vegas casinos, and it remains to be seen whether or not a West Virginia sportsbook can survive the hit without passing along its losses to the consumer in the form of larger house takes (i.e. less profitable wagers for the sports bettor).

Because the West Virginia Lottery will be in charge of regulating the sports betting industry in the state, there might be some confusion about what locations will actually offer on-site sports betting to WV residents and visitors. Fortunately, SB 415 clarifies that, though the WV Lottery is the regulating agency, sports betting will be allowed at area casinos, racetracks, and any other location where licensed video lottery terminal operators are situated. Right now, however, SB 415 limits sports betting to a total of five licensees in the state. As the popularity of the pastime grows locally, that number will likely be increased to meet regional demand.

SB 415 makes plain the fact that there will be mobile sports betting in West Virginia offered through official, state-sanctioned channels. §29-22D-6e spells out the following: “A West Virginia Lottery sports wagering license authorizes the operation of…sports wagering…through any mobile application or other digital platforms approved by the commission.”

Obviously, no state-based solution will be remotely feasible without a component offering access to legal West Virginia sportsbooks over the Internet and via your mobile device. The vast majority of WV residents use their iPhones and Androids for nearly all of their Internet-based activities, and it would be senseless to try to buck that trend. In other words, the outlook for mobile sports betting at legal West Virginia sportsbooks is extremely positive. It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s strictly a matter of “when.”

More:West Virginia Sports Betting Laws

Of course, it’s already perfectly legal to bet at an offshore sportsbook on your mobile device, and – depending on how the general WV sports betting taxation scheme works out – you might get far better deals wagering with these foreign brands than you will using local WV wagering apps. Yes, state-based mobile betting apps will likely be “native,” meaning that they’ll be purpose-built and available on the Apple App Store and in Google Play, but the current mobile portals offered by sites like Bovada, SportsBetting, and the other main players are already substantially better than their desktop or laptop computer counterparts. Regardless of who puts out the most polished app or web app, however, the upshot remains that mobile betting at offshore sportsbooks is still 100% legal in West Virginia (and the rest of the US).

Because of the legalization of sports betting in West Virginia, there are sure to be a number of first-time bettors coming into the fold. Naturally, sports betting can seem like a complex, tricky endeavor to the beginner, but that doesn’t have to be the case. This beginner’s guide to sports betting in West Virginia is brief but comprehensive, and it will teach you how to read odds, how to play different wager types, what kinds of sportsbook deposits and sportsbook withdrawals are best for your needs, whether or not you should take a deposit bonus, and more.

You’ll learn bankroll management, the ins and outs of handicapping teams and players, and everything there is to know about sports betting’s newest craze, live betting. Most of this stuff is common sense, of course, but it will definitely help your cause to have a little background knowledge of all the pertinent aspects of the sports betting industry.

Shopping Lines

Of all the different strategies available to West Virginia sports bettors, the most important to keep in mind is the easy act of shopping lines. It is the simplest, most straightforward, and most profitable edge any user of legal West Virginia sportsbooks can take advantage of. By signing up at multiple different online sportsbooks, you can compare the given odds for every single contest, placing your wagers with the bookmaker that has the best payout for your pick.

Additionally, you’ll sometimes even be able to place wagers on different sides of the same bet at different sportsbooks, which is called “playing the middle,” an advanced form of hedging your bets. (This can be quite profitable if done often enough.)

However, regardless of what your specific strategies are, having access to multiple books with multiple different lines can make you a lot more money than doing business with only one of the many legal West Virginia sportsbooks out there.

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West Virginia was one of the first US states to legalize sports betting, proactively passing a bill while the federal ban was still on the books.

With bipartisan support in the legislature, the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act (S 415) became law in March 2018 without a signature from Gov. Jim Justice. The governor, whose family owns one of the state’s gambling establishments, instead allowed the bill to lapse into law — purportedly to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

By the end of the year, both retail and online sports betting were available in the state. The latter suffered a false start at the hands of BetLucky before returning permanently in 2019.

West Virginia sports betting apps

There are currently three sports betting apps available in West Virginia:

William Hill also operates a retail sportsbook in the state, which could eventually spawn another WV sports betting app. The two Delaware North casinos will additionally use the betly brand to rejoin the state’s online market at some point.

WV sports betting apps are typically available for both iOS and Android devices.

West Virginia sports betting partnerships

The WV sports betting law requires online operators to partner with a land-based casino licensee in order to serve the state. Each of those licensees can deploy as many as three individually branded products (or “skins”) into the market.

Here’s the structure of online sports betting alliances in WV:

BetMGM Sports WV

• Land-based partner: The Greenbrier
• Date launched: January 29, 2020

BetMGM has the potential to be a big name in US sports betting, but has a little bit slower out of the gates than some of its competitors. In West Virginia, at least, its launch came only a few months after that of FanDuel and DraftKings. Like FanDuel, it chose The Greenbrier as its partner. The BetMGM brand is operated by Roar Digital, created as a joint endeavor between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings.

BetMGM also offers legal online casino gambling in WV.

DraftKings Sportsbook WV

• Land-based partner: Hollywood Casino
• Date launched: August 28, 2019

FanDuel’s monopoly in West Virginia lasted barely 48 hours, as DraftKings followed it into the market later the same week. The DraftKings partnership was inevitable under its nationwide market-access deal with Hollywood owner Penn National Gaming. DraftKings was itself under private ownership until April 2020, when it went public via a reverse merger with technology provider SBTech.

DraftKings Casino also operates legally in WV.

FanDuel Sportsbook WV

• Land-based partner: The Greenbrier
• Date launched: August 26, 2019

FanDuel wasn’t technically the first sports betting app in West Virginia, but it has fared much better than its only predecessor. It launched in August 2019, bringing online betting back to West Virginia after a five-month absence stemming from the failure of BetLucky. The daily fantasy giant chose The Greenbrier as its land-based partner, making it the epicenter of online betting in the state.

Betly WV (launch pending)

William Hill Sportsbook West Virginia

• Land-based partner: Mardi Gras and/or Wheeling Island
• Date launched: Pending

Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island are both owned by Delaware North. It was through these licenses and a now-defunct joint venture with Miomni that the group made its ill-fated entry to the market under the BetLucky brand.

Delaware North made its second attempt at sports betting starting in January 2020, reopening its two retail sportsbooks under a new brand — betly. They’re powered by a fresh partnership with IGT, a well-established company that should prove less problematic than the old BetLucky suppliers.

Mardi Gras Casino West Virginia Sportsbook

When the retail sportsbooks opened, Delaware North indicated it expected a mobile app to follow “very soon.” Those plans may have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other reasons, and as yet there is still no firm date for launch.

Sports available for betting in West Virginia

West Virginians enjoy betting on the same sports as gamblers in other states. The top leagues for betting include:

• NFL football
• NBA basketball
• NHL hockey
• MLB baseball
• MLS soccer
• NCAA college sports
• UFC/MMA combat sports

Unlike some states, WV does not have any particular collegiate betting restrictions. Fans of second-tier sports like tennis, golf, and cricket will also find the opportunity to bet on major competitions in those sports in WV.

So far, the state regulator has not made a firm decision one way or the other about esports and mind sports betting.

Types of legal sports bets in West Virginia

WV sports betting includes all the usual betting options on both professional and collegiate sports. Operators may offer:

• Moneylines
• Spreads
• Totals (over/under)
• Futures
• Proposition bets (props)

Combination bets such as parlays and round-robins are also allowed. Most operators also offer a full slate of in-play betting options.

West Virginia online sports betting bonuses

Online sports betting promotions typically come in one of two flavors in West Virginia.

1. Free bets
2. Deposit bonuses

Free bets are exactly that, promotional wagers given to new players just for signing up. Some may take the form of a matched bet, while others will not require the customer to bet their own money. Deposit bonuses reward bettors for funding their accounts by adding additional money — either a flat amount or a percentage of the associated deposit.

Most WV online sportsbooks offer bonuses in one or both of these categories.

When Will West Va Have Sports Betting

Depositing and withdrawing at West Virginia online sportsbooks

Much as is the case with WV online casinos, online sportsbooks in the state accept a variety of methods for users to deposit funds to their accounts:

• ACH/eCheck
• credit and debit cards
• online banking/bank transfers
• PayPal
• Skrill
• Play+
• PayNearMe
• check
• cash at the casino cage

Withdrawal options are fewer, though cash-outs via ACH/eCheck, PayPal, and regular checks are generally available. Bettors are also able to withdraw funds in person at the licensing casino’s cashier cage.

FAQ: West Virginia sports betting

Here are answers to some common questions about WV sports betting.

Is sports betting legal in WV?

Yes, West Virginia lawmakers legalized sports betting in 2018. By the end of the year, operators were legally booking wagers in the state across both retail and online/mobile channels.

Who is eligible to bet on sports in WV?

Adults at least 21 years old are eligible to bet on sports in West Virginia, provided they are (1) located in the state and (2) not otherwise excluded from gambling. Residency is not a requirement, but online/mobile platforms do require the bettor to be physically present within the borders to wager.

Where can I bet on sports in WV?

The five West Virginia casinos act as the primary licensees for sports betting. All of them have physical sportsbooks on site. Online and mobile betting are also available statewide.

Can I bet on sports online in WV?

Yes, the West Virginia sports betting law authorizes online and mobile sportsbooks in addition to physical betting locations. Although the first betting sites and apps rolled out in late 2018, the sector didn’t overcome its early growing pains until the larger operators entered the market in 2019.

What are the fees and taxes for WV sports betting?

West Virginia lawmakers imposed a modest tax rate for sports betting operators amounting to 10% of gross revenue. Five-year licenses are likewise affordable compared to many jurisdictions at $100,000 apiece.

Who regulates sports betting in WV?

The West Virginia Lottery regulates all gambling in the state, including sports betting.

• Phone: 800-982-2274
• Email: [email protected]

West Virginia sports betting history

The WV legislature officially authorized sports betting in the state in 2018 after failed attempts in the two years prior.

The bill sponsored by Sen. Ryan Ferns enjoyed bipartisan support and a relatively smooth path through both chambers, though it remained inactive until the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA two months later. At the time, the Mountain State was just the fourth in the country to legalize single-game wagering.

Despite a great deal of meddling by the governor and the sports leagues, diligent regulatory work facilitated the launch of WV sports betting in time for the following NFL season.

West Virginia Sports Betting

The state’s first legal bet was placed at Hollywood Casino on Aug. 30, 2018, and the first online sportsbook — BetLucky WV — subsequently debuted on Dec. 27. Although the latter no longer exists, several more-reputable online/mobile options have come to the market since.