West Virginia Online Sports Betting Guide 2024

Are you looking for West Virginia online sports betting opportunities? If you’re new in the state, it’s not always easy to narrow down sportsbooks and bonus options.

However, in this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about West Virginia sports betting. Is West Virginia sports betting legal? What are the best sports promos and bonuses? Are there legal sportsbooks you can access on land? Keep reading to find out.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Learn more about the West Virginia sports betting bill.
• Find the best WV sports betting promos.
• Discover local retail sportsbooks you can bet at.
• Find out all about sports teams in West Virginia and who you can bet on.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in West Virginia?

Yes! It’s legal to place sports bets online in West Virginia, though you’ll need to be betting within the state itself. Specifically, commercial gaming is regulated and authorized through the West Virginia Code, in Article 22 of Chapter 29. It’s the State Lottery Act, an important piece of West Virginia sports betting legislation.

West Virginia first legalized sports betting in 2018, just ahead of major changes to state gambling laws declared by the US Supreme Court. By the end of 2018, people were placing online sports wagers for the first time here.

West Virginia was one of the first few states to allow online sports betting. It’s legal to place bets, play casino games, and buy lottery tickets in the state. I, personally, find this fascinating, especially considering that there are plenty of areas across the US that are still fairly restrictive over what you can and can’t do online.

Here’s a quick timeline of events that led to online sports betting being made legal in West Virginia:

• March 2018: The state of West Virginia declares sports betting in all forms legal.
• August 2018: The first legal sports bets in WV are made at Charles Town Races Hollywood Casino.
• December 2018: Online sports betting becomes fully legal.
• August 2019: Following a shaky start, online sportsbooks finally start accepting bets across the state.

10 Quick Facts About West Virginia’s Sports Betting Laws

So, we know that it’s legal to place a sports bet in WV. However, we’ve got many curious facts about the West Virginia law that you might want to remember!

1. West Virginia’s law: As mentioned, Article 22 of Chapter 29 of the state code caters to sports betting, but also covers lottery rules, taxation, and self-exclusion terms.
2. Legal age: In West Virginia, you can start betting on sports from the age of 21. This applies to both online betting and physical retail betting.
3. State borders: WV shares a border with five states with differing sports betting laws. It’s legal for you to bet on sports online and in person in all five of them! Virginia sports betting is live, and so is Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Maryland.
4. Retail bookmakers: You can bet on sports at several retail sportsbooks in West Virginia. Popular retail sportsbooks here include:
   • Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
   • Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort
   • Mardi Gras Casino and Resort
5. Taxes: Like with other US states, you need to declare a 24% tax on winnings here. You must pay taxes on your gambling winnings via the form W-2-G through the IRS. First, federal taxation applies to winnings, and then you pay an income tax rate starting at 3% on top.
6. Online betting: There are multiple online sportsbooks you can bet at. West Virginia laws allow up to 15 online sportsbooks to register in the state. The most popular sites include:
   • BetMGM
   • FanDuel
   • Caesars
   • BetRivers
7. It’s legal to place bets on college sports: Unlike many states, you can legally place bets on college sports and professional events in WV, meaning that there’s a thriving amateur betting scene.
8. Esports betting: Believe it or not, West Virginia is one of very few states to make betting on esports legal, as part of a legal amendment in spring 2022.
9. Only five casinos in WV are allowed to offer sports betting: Specifically, only five legal casinos are operating in West Virginia, period! It’s here where you can place sports bets in person.
10. One sportsbook holds an interesting national honor: The highly exclusive sportsbook, The Greenbrier, is the only legal, physical sportsbook in the US where you have to register as a private member first!

How to Bet on Sports in West Virginia?

Now that you know all about the sports betting laws in West Virginia, let’s look at how to register at an example sportsbook. For this example, I’ll show you how to register at FanDuel West Virginia, a legal sportsbook app I used while visiting WV: 

1. Head to the registration or signup page: Different sportsbooks have registration pages in different places, but at FanDuel, you’ll find one through a large ‘Sign up’ button. After clicking through, I entered a username, password, and email address.
2. Supply your ID: At FanDuel, like other West Virginia sportsbooks, you need to verify your identity and location. I supplied my photo ID through the site’s simple checking process and was up and running in hours – but give the site time to fully process your information.
3. Explore the sportsbook: After processing, I logged into my new FanDuel account and looked at the baseball sports markets available. This was simple enough to do by checking the top bar of the navigation menu. Then, I selected a match and odds and deposited money to add a bet to my digital slip.

Of course, registering and placing bets will vary depending on the apps and services you register with – so just use this as a generic guide!

Top West Virginia Sports Betting Sites and Apps

West Virginia shares a few popular sportsbooks with other states, meaning that some of the following sites might sound familiar. While betting in WV, I found these sportsbooks to offer the best West Virginia sports betting bonuses and market selections.

Caesars Sportsbook

Disclaimer: Must be 21 or older and physically present in WV. New users only. Must register using eligible promo code. First bet after registration must qualify. Max. Bonus Bet: $1,000. Bonus Bet expires 14 days after receipt. Void where prohibited. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms.

• Welcome Offer: If your first bet loses, claim up to $1,000 in bonus bets.
• Minimum Deposit: N/A
• Wagering Requirement: Only the amount of your winning stake is a bonus bet.

Caesars Sportsbook has always impressed me regardless of where I am in the US, and I’m pleased that it has made its way to WV. The opening promo code lets you claim a generous amount back if you lose, but as always, check out the full terms and conditions.

Caesars is one of the classier sportsbooks available to West Virginia bettors, and its app is certainly one of the easiest to navigate. I was also able to use Caesars Rewards here, a big plus!

FanDuel Sportsbook

• Welcome Offer: Place a $5 bet – if it wins, claim up to $200.
• Minimum Deposit: $10
• Wagering Requirement: The bonus portion of your winning stake, after $5.

FanDuel Sportsbook is easily one of my favorite sportsbooks. It makes good use of its limited physical space and crams lots of great markets and betting tools into its desktop and mobile interfaces. It has a handy central bar that makes it simple to find the latest sports news.

Then there’s the bonus, which, I think, is extremely competitive. The only downside is that you have to convert on a winning bet to access your bonus cash. Therefore, study form wisely and pick a market that you’re fairly certain will win!

BetRivers

• Welcome Offer: Up to $100 back in bonus funds if your first bet loses.
• Minimum Deposit: $10
• Wagering Requirement: Bonus bet amount of a winning stake.

BetRivers Sportsbook offers a generous bonus that lets you claim free betting cash back if your first wager loses – it’s like a form of insurance. The terms and conditions at this sportsbook are always very reasonable and competitive.

BetRivers has a modern platform that’s one of the fastest to load up and browse around. I’ve even found a few sports markets here that I haven’t spotted anywhere else during my sportsbook travels.

Popular Sports and Teams in the West Virginia Betting Scene

West Virginia’s local sports team is a little different from what you might expect from other states. There aren’t any major league professional sports teams in WV itself. Therefore, anyone who is keen to bet on major league action must look to other states. Thankfully, sportsbooks inside West Virginia allow people to bet on teams and events that take place globally.

You can, however, still bet on some sports action within West Virginia. The professional scene is dominated by minor league teams, and there are also college teams playing various sports across the state.

Remember, you can legally bet on college teams in West Virginia, which sets it apart from various other territories inside the US. Therefore, it’s worth checking online and retail sports betting options here for odds and markets on amateur events. It has helped to make WV something of a hotbed for amateur bets.

For now, let’s run through some of the most notable minor league teams playing out of West Virginia. 

Soccer

To start with, there’s a soccer team that has played out of Charleston since 2003 – West Virginia United, who play in USL League Two at the time of writing. Back when the team was known as the West Virginia Chaos, the side reached the Conference Finals after coming first in the South Atlantic section of the USL PDL. This was in 2014, and it has remained the team’s best performance to date.

Baseball

In baseball, one of the biggest draws for sports bettors here are the West Virginia Black Bears, a team who have been part of the MLB draft league since 2021. They have claimed three league titles, including two back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.

Ice hockey

In ice hockey, meanwhile, the Wheeling Nailers play, appropriately, out of Wheeling, VA. The club was formed all the way back in 1981 when it was part of the ACHL. They are now part of the ECHL and have the honor of being the oldest minor league team still playing below the main leagues. The Nailers have claimed two conference titles, two season titles, and three division titles. However, they’ve yet to claim a title so far this decade.

If you’re visiting WV or are a native here and are new to betting, do what I did and really immerse yourself in the local sports scene. Then, take a look at the sportsbooks and see what local odds and markets are available!

The Impact of Local Teams on Sports Betting

Unfortunately, there are no precise figures that tell us exactly how influential local sports are on the betting scene in West Virginia. However, what we do know is that the overall financial revenue from commercial gaming in the state tops $805m – this is according to statistics from the American Gaming Association.

Therefore, while we can’t exactly confirm that local teams are helping to boost sports betting in West Virginia, it certainly has to contribute a fraction! Thankfully, it’s easy to bet on sports outside the state using the sportsbooks listed in this guide.

Upcoming Events

If you’re looking for the latest West Virginia sports betting news, we bring together the latest events right here. Whether you’re betting in the state regularly or are planning a trip, bookmark this page, and we’ll keep you up to speed on the latest West Virginia sports betting update.

Are There More Gambling Options in West Virginia?

There are a handful of other legal ways to bet legally in West Virginia – here’s what you need to know:

• Online casinos: DraftKings was the first legal online casino to launch in WV in 2020, and thanks to the Interactive Wagering Act, other casinos and sportsbooks have followed suit.
• Lottery: West Virginia Lottery games are legal to play in West Virginia provided that you are at least 18 years of age. The state lottery offers ticketed draws and alternative games such as keno.
• Online poker: Thanks, again, to the Interactive Wagering Act, West Virginian bettors can also play online poker within the law. However, at present, there are few online poker opportunities available.

Maximizing Your Bets

Let’s now explore a few ways that you can make the most of your wagers in West Virginia. Let’s start with some professional tips.

Tips and Strategies for West Virginia Bettors

Want to know how to become better at sports betting? Refer to our complete guide for a host of handy tips – here’s a quick preview to give you a taste:

1. Be wise about risk: Each of the sports bets you make carries a risk! Therefore, you need to carefully plan for how much money you can afford to place on betting sites and at retail sportsbooks. Consider splitting off a unique cash pot for the money you intend to bet with so that you know what you can afford to use. Alternatively, check out responsible gambling tools from casinos and sportsbooks to help you manage your cash.
2. Try different sports: The best West Virginia sportsbooks we listed above offer more than just a few different sports you can bet on. Why stick only with baseball and tennis, for example, when there are also the NFL, NHL, and world soccer markets? Mix up your betting slip with different choices and markets, but at the same time, get to know the teams and sports you’re betting on.
3. Embrace the betting mindset: Effective sports betting isn’t about taking blind or lucky punts. It’s about studying the form of your favorite teams and players, and really taking the time to dive into statistics.

The better informed you are about different sports and their major players, the more confidently you’ll make betting decisions.

Understanding Taxes and Payouts

As mentioned, you’ll need to pay the IRS at least some tax on betting income when you win money in West Virginia. For any prizes of $5,000 or more, you need to pay a federal rate of 24%, and a further amount to the state of 6.5%. These rates are subject to change as time moves on.

There are also income tax rates you must keep in mind, with rates in West Virginia starting at 3%. You must file a form W-2-G with the IRS to declare any income you make from betting wins. Further information on federal and WV withholding rates is available to read via the West Virginia Tax Division’s helpful TSD 432 guide.

Paying taxes on sports betting is legally required wherever you bet in the US – it’s just WV bettors have it more relaxed than most!

What About Physical Sports Betting Locations?

As mentioned, there are five casinos you can place bets at in West Virginia – here are three that I personally recommend:

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

It’s here where retail sports betting began in West Virginia! You’ll find this 24-hour betting resort off Hollywood Drive, not far from Harpers Ferry.

Fun to go play slots. Next time I’m betting horses. Love playing all the games. Lots of new ones. Love Charlestown Casino.

Julie S., From Google Review

Famous for its horse racing betting, gaming center and amazing scenic surroundings, this resort was the very first US racetrack to become a dedicated racino!

Always a nice time, whether I win or not and the atmosphere is great! The casino is not very large but you are treated like family! The staff is always friendly and the place is very clean!!

Andrea T., From Google Review

Mardi Gras Casino and Resort

Based off Greyhound Drive in Cross Lanes, this gaming center offers betting, casino games and at-venue greyhound racing.

Actually a great ‘small’ casino! Out of state and decided to stop, Beyond winning, we loved the visit. New and old machines, smoke free, and clean!

Tim A., From Google Review

So, Will You Bet from West Virginia Tonight?

I hope that you’ve found this West Virginia sports betting guide helpful! Now that you know all about the laws, taxation, and sportsbook sites that apply in WV, why not get out and explore it all? Use your knowledge of the best West Virginia sports betting sites to find the best welcome bonuses and also explore college and minor league sports in the region.

New to betting and don’t know where to start? We got you covered with our fantastic betting 101 guide – head there before wagering a cent.