Guide to Gambling in West Virginia

The Mountain State of West Virginia offers its residents and visitors a mature land-based casino industry and gambling culture. In West Virginia, 4 major racetrack casinos (racinos) operate and 1 stand-alone commercial land-based casino. In total, these casinos operate more than 10 000 slot machines, sports betting, and over 225 table games for the state’s residents.

Whilst all West Virginian land-based casinos feature video lottery terminals (VLT’s), West Virginia has not yet introduced legal online casinos. The VLT’s are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called ‘lottery terminals’ because they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of each machine’s revenue.

The VLT’s can be seen to be something of a ‘stop-gap’ measure until the full legalization of all types of online betting in West Virginia paves the way for online casinos to eventually follow the legalization pathway.

Licensed Poker is fully legal, popular and widely promoted in West Virginia. On the other hand, unlicensed Poker and other forms of unlicensed games such as home ‘social’ games are frowned upon by lawmakers.

See below for options to play Live Poker in West Virginia.

Poker Rooms

West Virginia has a total of 5 poker rooms offering 97 tables. West Virginia encourages you to play all your favorite poker games without any legal ramifications (including Pot-Limit Omaha, No Limit Hold’em, Caribbean Stud Poker, Casino Hold’em, Texas Hold’em etc.).

Online Poker Laws

Given that there is no official word on legal online poker games, we suggest that it is safe to presume that online poker is still illegal in West Virginia at the moment.
The one interesting development is that industry experts have stated that West Virginia would be the perfect state to partner nearby Delaware in sharing online poker game jackpot liquidity. This suggests that change is on the horizon for the legalization of online poker in West Virginia.

1931 – West Virginia Racing Commission was created to oversee legal betting on Horse Racing in the Mountain State.

1986 – West Virginia State Lottery begins, and the state also allows multi-state jackpot lotteries like Powerball.

1994 – West Virginia’s Racetrack Video Lottery Act was passed allowing Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) at racetracks.

1994 – A State Act allowed for land-based and riverboat casinos in West Virginia.

2001 – VLT legislation expended in West Virginia to include introduction of the terminals into the state’s bars and licensed clubs.

2007 – Table Games were finally legalized at the state’s four racetrack casinos (racinos) via a state referendum.

2008 – West Virginia’s first land-based casino was approved and it was opened in 2010.

April 23 2018 – WV SB415 Passes and Sports Betting Becomes legal.

September 1 2018 – Introduction of fully legalized sports betting in West Virginia. The first legal sportsbook opens in the State.

Late December 2018 – West Virginia opens its first legal online sportsbook and becomes only the 3rd state to offer online sports betting.

Visit our West Virginia Sports Betting Page to read about the states top sports betting sites