Online Sports Betting West Virginia

As sports betting outlets pop up around the country, people in West Virginia may wonder where they can start to wager with legal West Virginia sports betting. And despite a relatively slow rollout, West Virginia online sports betting was the fifth state to offer legal wagering in the United States. West Virginia has offered legal sports betting since 2018. In that time, it has grown and developed from retail sportsbooks to more operators offering their online platforms and apps. Now, mobile sports betting is dominating the West Virginia gambling landscape. Of course, the Coronavirus pandemic is a significant contributor to this. West Virginia Sports Betting West Virginia was one of the first U.S. States to legalize sports betting, officially passing Senate Bill 415 in March 2018. Under this law, each of the state’s five casino and racetrack venues were allowed to pursue both retail and online sports betting options.

Virginia sports betting officially went live in January 2021 after the state legalized betting in 2020.

At the start, sports betting in Virginia will take place via mobile and online sportsbook apps, which have become increasingly popular through the legal US sports betting market.

FanDuel Sportsbook launched the first app through a partnership with the Washington Football Team.

More sports betting apps are in the approval process in Virginia. DraftKings Sportsbook is licensed and live, and BetMGM and BetRivers began operation in January 2021 as well. William Hill joins the market in February 2020.

Here is more of what you need to know about Virginia sports betting.

Virginia sports betting now live in 2021

Legal Virginia online sports betting

Virginia sports betting became legal in April 2020, when the Virginia state legislature passed a sports betting bill.

Betting on sports in Virginia eventually will become available from anywhere within the borders of the state. Mobile VA sports betting on smartphones will allow bettors to sign up for and fund accounts through apps on your device.

You do not need to live in Virginia to bet on sports in the state. You will, however, need to be physically located in the state to place a wager legally.

The state lottery oversees VA sports betting. Regulations are already in place, and more than two dozen sportsbooks have applied to operate in the state. There could be up to a dozen apps available throughout Virginia eventually.

Best Virginia sportsbook apps

State law mandates that there will be a minimum of four and a maximum of 12 VA sportsbook apps available.

FanDuel Sportsbook launched first, and DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, and William Hill followed closely. Many more sportsbooks will offer sports betting apps in Virginia. Many of these brands are participating in new markets throughout the US legal market:

Generally speaking, more sportsbooks in a given state lead to a better market. Competition to gain customers often leads to sportsbooks offering better signup offers and promo codes. These can include free bets or deposit matches, ranging from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.

This is not necessarily a complete list of potential VA sportsbooks. Your smartphone device will use geolocation technology to verify that you are within Virginia before allowing you to bet with these sportsbook apps.

Here’s some more information on some of the biggest sportsbooks that will likely find their way into Virginia:

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings, a leader in both daily fantasy sports and sports betting in the US, has been aggressive about getting into every state possible, and it went live in the state in January 2021.

Online Sports Betting West Virginia

If you’re a new bettor, you can receive $50 free, plus up to an addition $1,000 in bonus offers.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel is the current US leader among all sportsbooks in terms of amount wagered, Virginia is an obvious choice for the FanDuel sports betting app. The app provides weekly promotions, daily odds boosts and a live betting tool.

Bettors in the state get up to a $1,000 risk-free bet upon a first deposit.

BetMGM Sportsbook

The sportsbook from MGM Resorts International has been similarly aggressive entering every online sports betting state it can. It will not have a brick-and-mortar casino in the state, but does have one in neighboring Maryland. MGM started its app in January 2021.

Bettors should get a deposit match bonus of up to $500, based on what MGM does in other states.

West Virginia Online Sports Betting Launch

BetRivers Sportsbook

BetRivers parent Rush Street Interactive partnered with the upcoming Rivers Casino Portsmouth to launch sports betting in Virginia. The brick-and-mortar casino will come later but the mobile platform is available now.

Bettors should be able to access a bonus offer comparable to that available in other states.

William Hill Sportsbook

Caesars will build the casino in Danville; Caesars is also buying William Hill. One plus one equals a VA sportsbook from William Hill, a big operator in Nevada and the UK, with a growing footprint around the US.

William Hill offers up to a $500 free bet on a first deposit in many other states.

Virginia sportsbooks at casinos

As Virginia sports betting launches, there aren’t any physical sportsbooks. Part of the reason why? Virginia casinos were approved in 2020 referendums and will be built in the coming years. And there should be sportsbooks at those casinos eventually.

There could also be physical sportsbooks at sporting venues, like Virginia’s two auto racing tracks.

Latest VA sports betting news

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.

Wv Sport Books In Casino

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)

• 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.

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.

Virginia Sports Gambling

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.

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.

Online Sports Betting West Virginia Lottery

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?

When Will West Va Have Sports Betting

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.

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.