Oct 05, 2020 Anyone located in West Virginia who is 21 years or older is allowed to bet on sports in West Virginia. Do I have to live in West Virginia to play? No, you are not required to prove residency in WV to play on West Virginia online sportsbooks. Federal Sports Betting Laws. Until very recently, there were three primary federal sports betting laws that affected the way West Virginia gambling destinations could do business. The Wire Act of 1961 prohibits sports betting across state lines, nominally to curb mafia-related interstate numbers games. In the state of West Virginia, players will see that there is nothing banning online sports betting under Chapter 61, Article 10. Players who wish to wager on sports by way of the internet will see that the laws are fairly accommodating. You will not have to worry about anything other than paying your taxes, joining a safe gambling site, and making sure that you do not violate any unrelated laws indirectly. WV Sports Betting Regulations Each West Virginia casino that would like to open a sportsbook must pay a $100,000 licensing fee. The sportsbook operator does not have to be the casino owner. It may be operated by a third party.
Residents now have so many options for legal sports betting in West Virginia that it is normal to have questions. With the state choosing to regulate sports gambling, residents have additional options for wagering on their favorite sports teams. Legal West Virginia sports betting can be done through multiple methods – state-licensed sportsbooks, state-licensed online sportsbooks, or online offshore sports betting sites. The way we see it, there are no state laws that prevent the use of online offshore sportsbooks. The state has legalized sports betting and there are no provisions to exclude offshore books. Without these specific pieces of legislation in place, legal sports betting in West Virginia at online sportsbooks is viable. To further clear up any concerns, lawmakers have authorized both internet and mobile wagering in the state.
To help make finding legal West Virginia sports betting sites easier, we’ve gone ahead and narrowed down the field to the best potential candidates. These sites allow players from all over West Virginia to play at their sites. There are no sign-up fees and you’ll have more options at these legal West Virginia sports betting sites than you’d find anywhere else in the US, including a local sportsbook or one in Vegas. Everything you need to know about finding a safe, reliable online sportsbook that accepts WV residents is right here on this page. We explore and explain the legality of it all, as well as answer any questions you might have about legal West Virginia Sports Betting.
Can We Now Legally Bet On Sports In West Virginia?
If you follow the news at all, you are already aware that PASPA was overturned on May 14th, 2018. As the West Virginia Legislature had passed a preemptive sports betting law, residents can now legally bet on sports in W.V. With sports betting officially kicking off on September 1st at Hollywood Casino, the opportunities for legal sports gambling in West Virginia only continue to increase. Of course, residents can also continue to use sites like BetOnline and 5Dimes for the best odds and bigger bonuses.
If you live in West Virginia and enjoy betting on sports over the Internet, we have good news. Legal West Virginia sports betting can be done online through any computer or smartphone. West Virginia has online sportsbooks that are based in the state. Not only that, WV residents should feel confident that they are well within their legal rights when placing any type of bet at an online sportsbook that accepts American players. The online action you’ll find at any of the legal West Virginia Sports Betting sites recommended on this page is better than anything you’d find stateside.
Sports Betting Laws in West Virginia
The sports betting laws in West Virginia are very straightforward and easy to find. WV HB 415 is the only West Virginia sports betting law that you need to know. Passed on March 3, 2018, the law legalizes sports wagering on professional and collegiate sports, including college teams based in WV. States like NJ and DE have banned betting on local college teams, so WV residents have a leg up in this regard. The law also approves mobile and internet sports betting as well. You can also find details on licensure, fees, and other regulatory standards within the law.
Will I Go to Jail for Online Sports Betting in West Virginia?
There has never been any record of someone going to jail for online sports betting in West Virginia. In fact, there are now West Virginia sports betting laws that authorize mobile and other platforms for digital wagering. On the federal level, sports betting laws only apply to those who are either illegally running an online/land-based sportsbook, or those who are accepting the wagers. There is nothing in the state or federal penal code that makes online sports betting unlawful for West Virginia residents.
Legal Sports Betting Sites For West Virginia Residents
All States ex. NY, NJ, NV, DE, MD
Bovada is a sportsbook we have long followed for their quality. Bovada provides its players with quite a few options for gambling, covering as many possible sports as they can. Entertainment, such as TV and film, as well as politics are also covered. Each of these options has made Bovada into one of the more enjoyable locations for gambling. If you decide to play with Bovada, you will find easy deposits by way of Bitcoin, VISA, Mastercard, and American Express. They have various deposit bonuses, including a 50% matching bonus for up to $250. For a limited time, until October 1, you can get a 50% matching bonus for up to $1,000 to celebrate the new football season. Just enter the promo code BVNFL1000 if you are betting on NFL games or BVNCAAF1000 if you are betting on college football. Through Bovada you never have to worry about being ripped off or otherwise damaged, as this is one of the most secure gambling sites around.
All States - ex NJ, NV, NY
BetOnline is another of the most famous betting sites we have ever seen. They provide their users with quite a few advantages, including a 50% match to $1,000 - the largest deposit bonus ever introduced into a sportsbook. BetOnline bets on over 8 different sports, with the moneyline, spread, and total score bet available on each betting line. BetOnline has easy deposits with such methods as Bitcoin, Ethereum, prepaid cards, VISA, Mastercard, and wire transfers. BetOnline is simply the most generous betting sites we have ever seen, offering odds that pay even higher than most other sportsbooks.
All States - ex NJ, NV, NY
The fans here in West Virginia know that betting on their favorite and hometown teams on MyBookie is a huge come up. There is so much money that can be made. The age requirement just to sign up for a MyBookie account is 18 and older. The banking methods are so easy to use and there a few listed that players can use. With the bonuses offered as well, there is no way that players not having any money or free plays on their accounts. Having an account here with Mybookie is the best idea and all it takes is for players to take a few minutes out of their day to create one.
All States - ex NJ, NV, NY
The thing about betting on these teams is that there is always a risk. The bigger the risk, the more money that players can make. There are so many different betting options on SportsBetting and the features here are made just for the players that have accounts. There are also bonuses that SportsBetting offers and these are just a few things that they offer for players to keep them to continue to come back. The age requirement for players to sign up here is 18 and older. Once you have an account, all the games and features like live betting and mobile betting will be there for you to make money off of!
Best Sports Betting Sites For West Virginia Players
- LEGAL SPORTS BETTING
- USA?
- SPORTSBOOK BONUS OFFERS
- MOBILE?
- GET STARTED
- 50% Bonus Up To $1,000
- 50% Bonus Up To $1,000 On Each Deposit
- 50% Bonus Up To $1,000
- 100% Bonus Up To $300
- 100% Bonus Up To $500
What Federal Laws Impact Sports Betting In West Virginia?
There are a couple of federal laws that impact sports betting in West Virginia. We can start with the oldest law, the Wire Act of 1961. If you’re wondering why you can’t just call a sportsbook located in Nevada from West Virginia and use that or just log on to one of Nevada’s online sportsbooks, it’s actually because of the Wire Act. The Wire Act states that it is unlawful for someone to take a wager over a wire of communication. This prevents wagers from being taken over state lines and keeps legal West Virginia sports betting limited to state-licensed sportsbooks and apps.
There is a final sports betting law that you should be aware of, but rather than preventing any activities, it serves as a banking regulation. This law is called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, UIGEA. What this law tries to do is prevent businesses from taking wagers and processing transactions from US players online, but it only succeeds in half of that. The UIGEA does not have the authority to dictate what overseas businesses do or don’t do. So they can’t prevent online, offshore sportsbooks from taking bets from West Virginia residents.
What this law can do is prevent banks from processing deposits to online sports betting sites. So occasionally, you might have a declined credit card payment or wire transfer. This doesn’t mean you’re doing anything illegal – the great thing about all three of these laws is that betting is not actually unlawful – it just means you need to find a different deposit method that doesn’t have to be processed by a bank. The law is also only applicable to unregulated sites, which means that state-run apps are not impacted by the UIGEA.
In West Virginia, the legal sports betting age is 21. The state has an overarching law that dictates 21 as the legal gambling age in the state. This is important to remember, as most online sports betting sites only require you to be 18 to sign up. While you can technically sign up at that age, we recommend that you wait until the state proscribed legal betting age or else face legal consequences.
Can I Use A Mobile Sports Betting Site In West Virginia?
Yes. When you use any of the online sportsbooks that are based in West Virginia or any of our highly recommended online offshore sportsbooks, you are legally able to bet on sports on your smartphone (or tablet). These sites are the exact same ones you’re accessing on your computer, they’ve just been modified to fit on a smaller, mobile device. Mobile sports betting in West Virginia is legal, fun, and convenient.
Types Of Wagers Available At WV Sports Betting Sites
Generally, online sportsbooks will have tons of different wager types available. Some have more than others, especially if they’re more established and have been operating for a long time. The most common wager types you’ll see are parlay cards, moneylines, spreads, totals, adjusted lines, props, and futures. You might also find round robins, if-bets, Asian handicaps, and more. Some sportsbooks even have what is called live betting, as well.
Live In Game Sports Betting In West Virginia
Live betting is a method of betting on the game as it is in progress. Moneylines, spreads, and totals, as well as player and team props, can be made on the game while it is going. This puts you closer to the action and really gives you a chance to show off your sports betting skills.
Will West Virginia Regulate Sports Betting at the State Level?
West Virginia state legislators have already legalized sports betting at the state level. It was among one of the first states to do so after the Supreme Court ruling on PASPA. The state regulates sports betting at existing racetrack casinos and the casino within the historic Greenbrier Hotel. West Virginia also offers a state-regulated mobile sports betting app, but it has experienced technical difficulties in the past.
Are There Any Sportsbooks At Tribal Casinos In West Virginia?
Currently, there is no legal sports betting in West Virginia Tribal casinos or any other land-based structure. This is due to federal restrictions like PASPA. If federal law is repealed or amended, you should expect to see sportsbooks in both tribal and commercial casinos.
Can I Trust West Virginia Sports Betting Sites?
All of the current casinos and racinos in West Virginia are legally authorized to offer sports betting. There are four racetrack-casinos in the state and one casino. All five destinations are poised to offer full-scale sports wagering on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA sporting events. Here are the places where you can bet on sports in West Virginia:
- Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
- Mardi Gras Casino and Resort Cross Lanes
- Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort
- Wheeling Island Hotel
- The Casino Club at The Greenbrier
Can I Trust West Virginia Sports Betting Sites?
Yes, you can fully trust online sportsbooks that accept West Virginia residents, especially if they are the ones recommended on this page. We scoured the internet looking for the absolute best legal West Virginia sports betting sites available, ones with the best reputations and the most to offer. Online sportsbooks use SSL encryption technology to keep your information safe. They must also answer to a gaming commission, which holds them to high-quality standards to maintain their licensing.
Professional And College Sports Teams In West Virginia
Well, there is no professional sports teams in West Virginia at this time. In fact, there are only a few college teams that anyone really hears about. They are the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Marshall Thundering Herd. Other than that, there is not going to be a whole lot of betting on the home team because teams are limited in the state. Luckily, offshore online sportsbooks provide the latest betting odds on every team and popular sport you can think of.
Online gambling is still quite new to West Virginia, but by far the fastest-growing gaming sector in the United States. The improvements made in internet technology in recent years have made the top online gambling sites a complete gambling experience and, in many ways, superior and more convenient to gambling in a bricks-and-mortar casino or sportsbook.
Here at Play-westvirginia.com we you provide you with all the latest information on all the preferred online gambling sites including;
Betting on sports online – Fully legal and licensed for West Virginia sports bettors since the last week of December 2018, West Virginia sports betting become potentially available after the U.S. Supreme Court found on the side of the States in spring of 2018 and handed back control of sports betting to all U.S. States for self-determination. West Virginia was prepared having passed laws allowing for sports betting ahead of the Supreme Court decision.
Online Casino Gambling – For the time being, the legalization of online casino gambling is held up in West Virginia and gambling online is due for further consideration soon.
Gambling age in West Virginia
The legal online gambling age in WV is 21 for sports betting and 18 for online horse racing betting.
Is Gambling Online Legal in WV?
For most people when discussing West Virginia’s gambling laws, the first question they want to ask “is online gambling legal in WV?”.
The answer is yes and no.
Different types of online gambling exist in West Virginia and each type has its own set of rules and regulations as set out below.
Online Casino Legalization in WV
As at March 2019, Online Casinos are still not legal in the state of West Virginia.
The good news is however, that the topic is scheduled to be up for debate soon is the State Legislature with bill H 2178. This bill, or a version of it has appeared on the docket for debate in each of the last three legislative sessions, and is approaching final version status.
The topic is on the radar of the state’s lawmakers and given the early success of online WV sports betting, it appears to be heading towards finalization.
WV Online Blackjack
Online bettors in West Virginia have plenty to look forward to in the future with legal online blackjack. A simple game with simple rules, online blackjack appeals to online bettors the world over for its great winning odds against the house, having the lowest house edge of all the Online Casino games (as little as 0.5%).
WV Online Roulette
Online Roulette’s simplicity establishes it as one of the most popular online casino games that has successfully made the transition from the land-based casino world and should be available soon in West Virginia. Once you become more experienced, playing with one of the established Roulette strategies should increase your chances to win.
WV Online Slots
Once online casinos eventually become available for West Virginia’s online players, the majority of available games should be Online Slots. From 3D slots (for a generation of players brought up with video games) through to licensed movie and TV show tie ins, classic video slots and online progressive slots, there really is something for everyone with online slots.
Online Sports Betting
Online Sports Betting Legalization in WV
Legal Sports Betting is a relatively recent introduction to West Virginia, and like the majority of states that now have taken up a legal sports betting industry, 2018 has been the landmark year;
- March 2018 – West Virginia Governor Jim Justice passed sports betting legalization bill SB 415 into law. The bill legalized sports betting (both online and land-based) in West Virginia on the condition that the US Supreme Court found in favor of New Jersey and overturned the PASPA Act.
- May 14 2018 – U.S. Supreme Court finds in favor of New Jersey on legal sports betting and hands each state the right to make their own sports betting choices without Federal impediment.
- August – December 2018 – Five land-based sports successfully launched in West Virginia.
- December 27 2018 – West Virginia’s first launched online sports book is protected by geolocation technology for use in West Virginia only.
- West Virginian law now allows for online WV sportsbooks to offer a wide range of betting types across a diverse range of sports, including NFL, gambling on eSports, MLB, NBA, NCAA football and NCAA Basketball plus many more.
Football Betting
NFL gambling, college football betting and wagering on Canada’s CFL are readily available to West Virginia’s online players. West Virginia is football heartland, so it is great to that West Virginia’s residents and visitors have such a wide range of football leagues and betting types to choose from.
Baseball Betting
Online betting on Major League Baseball (MLB) is readily available in West Virginia. While West Virginia is football heartland, the recent successes of the nearby Washington Nationals franchise is turning many of the state’s residents into big baseball betting fans too.
Basketball Betting
NCAA College Basketball options are enormously popular among the West Virginia sports bettors given the number of nationally ranked college teams like Kentucky, Virginia, Cincinnati and Duke, all on the state’s doorstep. NBA is also widely followed and betting markets are available, however, college basketball is king in West Virginia.
Horse Racing Betting
If you’re above the age of 18, residing in West Virginia and you can’t find the time to get to the track or a simulcast facility to bet on big events like the Kentucky Derby, online racebooks are available in the Mountain State.
Online racebooks provide West Virginians the convenience of betting anywhere-anytime on a PC or mobile device, offering wagering on all the big races across the U.S.A and around-the-world.
Online Poker
Online Poker betting is still not legal in West Virginia.
It is anticipated that the topic is scheduled to be up for debate soon is the State Legislature with bill H 2178, West Virginia’s pending online casino legislation.
Who Regulates Online Gambling in WV?
The West Virginia Lottery Commission is the sole body that regulates online (and land-based) gambling in the Mountain State.
The day-to-day operation, licensing, and regulation of gaming companies is overseen by the West Virginia Lottery Commission.
How Much Does West Virginia Tax gambling Winnings?
A flat-rate gambling tax of 6.5 per cent on all winnings applies in West Virginia for most regular size gambling winnings.
Larger wins may also incur a much heftier Federal Tax and exact tax rates applicable for larger wins will depend upon your state of residence in the United States. Check with your tax attorney to determine your tax liability if you have a win of $600 or more in West Virginia.
Advantages of Playing at WV’s Legal Online Casinos and Sportsbooks
The advantages of online sportsbooks are already being enjoyed by West Virginians, as to will be the many advantages that West Virginians will find in online casinos (once legalized) include;
- Convenience
- Comfort
- Small Betting Limits
- Value for Money
- Special Promotions
- Vast Game selections
- Free Games
- Mobile Friendly Responsive Websites (Play Anywhere – Anytime)
- 128-bit/256-bit Security
- Flexible Banking Options
- Security
How to get started
West Virginia Sports Betting Law
Interested in playing now?
West Virginia Sports Betting Regulations Rules
Simply click on the “Join Now” button for the online sportsbook or online casino you wish to join from our list of reviewed and recommended choices below, or click on the online sportsbook/casino logo.