We have noticed that many people have the same question – “Is online gambling legal in WV?”. Yes, this is one of the gambling-friendly states where you can find a decent number of legal online casinos. The West Virginia Lottery Commission is responsible for maintaining and controlling the entire online gambling and sports betting market.
Despite being legal, WV online casinos offer a very good offer regarding online casino games, bonuses, payment methods and other essential features. Because of that, we would like to share an in-depth guide on West Virginia online casinos, their legality, and what players should do to find them.
To find more relevant information about WV online casino sites, continue reading!
History of Online Casino Legislation in West Virginia
The history of gambling in West Virginia started in 1933. Back then, the local authorities decided to legalize horse race betting, which was very attractive in the mid-30s. 1994 is another essential year for the progress of this industry. Then, the so-called video lottery terminals were legalized entirely. People could find them in restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc.
However, the real thing happened first in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, the Supreme Court established a new law that allowed West Virginians to enjoy online sports betting. Although sports betting was legal in three land-based casinos before that, the digitalization of this activity made betting on sports even more popular!
What about 2019? Five years ago, online casino gambling was completely legalized. Online operators finally got the chance to apply for the West Virginia Lottery Commission license and legally offer online casino games to residents of this state. HB 2934 bill, which passed the state house in February 2019, is why WV online casino sites are so popular today!
Current Legal Status of Online Casinos in West Virginia
Do you think today’s best WV online casinos have gotten their licenses that easily? The entire procedure has pretty strict rules. For starters, the best online casinos in West Virginia must partner with five land-based casinos to operate legally. If they are not partnered, that means they are breaking the law.
Also, the application fee itself is high. Operators need to pay $250,000 to even apply for the license. If they don’t meet all the requirements, they will need to wait another year to re-apply. The license doesn’t last forever! West Virginia online casino sites need to renew it every five years. However, in this case, the license will cost them “only” $100,000.
West Virginia Lottery Commission does not stop there! They want to make sure that the owner of the potentially new WV online casino has a clear background. Applicants will have to prove that they don’t have any criminal records behind them. Apart from that, they need to provide a business plan, a list of securities and debt offerings, debt and bankruptcy history and many other documents.
Ultimately, we must make certain things regarding the minimum gambling age clear. Many people think that the legal age for gambling in WV is 18. That only counts for lottery games, bingo and racing. If you want to register at WV online casinos and enjoy either sports betting or legalized online casino games, you must be over 21.
How to Choose a Legal Online Casino in West Virginia
The West Virginia Lottery Commission has ensured that the entire online gambling market is legal and regulated. However, that doesn’t mean you should register at the first WV online casino that you find. Some of them might be a complete scam, while others won’t meet your expectations regarding casino games, bonuses and other stuff.
Due to that, we have highlighted the most essential criteria you should consider when choosing West Virginia online casinos. Let’s get started!
Valid License and Certificates
You MUST register and gamble only at licensed WV online casinos. They must have the approval for work issued by the West Virginia Lottery Commission. That means they passed all the tests that guarantee their legacy. Check the license number to confirm how long the license is valid and when precisely the chosen online casino needs to re-apply for it.
At the same time, we invite players to check out whether the attractive top online casinos have specific certificates. They can, for example, confirm the randomness of the games, the validity of payouts, and other things.
Analyze the Layers of Protection
Would you register at the West Virginia online casino which can’t guarantee the safety of your data? To understand how well you are protected, we invite you to read carefully the Privacy Policy page of the selected online gaming site. Primarily, check out which type of data protection technology they are using to keep your online casino account safe. Today’s best online casino sites usually use encrypted protection that turns all the information you share into a code. Those codes are unbreakable.
Additionally, we invite you to check out which data the online casino is collecting through cookies and for what purpose. Everything they collect must only be used for the improvement of the service; compromising your information for commercial purposes is illegal!
Quality and Quantity of Casino Style Games
There are three things you should check when analyzing available online casino games. First, you should check out how many of them exist in each game category. Slot titles are usually the most present ones. However, the best WV online casinos should also offer table games, live dealer games and, eventually, instant/quick/virtual options.
Each of the mentioned gaming categories should feature diversity. Best online casinos will try to offer a vide range of slot, table game or live casino game variants. This way, they want to meet everyone’s expectations!
Quality, on the other hand, can be determined easily. Features you should check out are graphics, RTP, volatility, sounds, and animations. The easiest way to do that is by checking the presence of the best software development companies. Most leading online casinos will establish a collaboration with Pragmatic Play, Synot, BGaming, Microgaming, and other successful brands in this industry.
Fairness and Quality of Bonus and Promotions
The first promotion you should check for is the WV welcome bonus. They can come in the form of deposit and no deposit bonuses. Despite analyzing how many bonus casino credits or free spins you can get, check out their terms and conditions. Primarily focus on wagering requirements, but don’t neglect the deadline and minimum deposit requirement. Some WV online casinos may even limit the number of games compatible with your claimed bonus.
Available Payment Methods
You have chosen the wrong operator if your WV casino does not let you quickly deposit funds or withdraw your gambling limits. The banking options must be diverse and meet everyone’s needs. Some of the options available should be credit/debit cards, a diversity of e-wallets, prepaid cards and, eventually, cryptocurrencies.
WV online casino sites will collaborate only with verified payment providers such as MasterCard, PayPal, Neteller and others. The payments in both directions should be safe, quick and cheap. If that’s not the case, you better start looking for another option.
Quality of Customer Support
Even top online casinos deal with hundreds of daily requests, questions and complaints. If you can’t handle an issue regarding deposits, withdrawals or bonuses, there should be a professional agent that will help you solve the problem as quickly as possible.
These properly trained individuals should be available through different communication channels. Despite live chat, which is the most practical option, you should also have the chance to contact them via email and phone. Some operators will even let you get in touch with agents via social media, which we appreciate a lot.
Top Legal Online Casinos in West Virginia for 2024
Do you know how many online casinos are currently operating in West Virginia? While we are writing this guide, there are 10 of them in total. Each one features a high dose of quality, but we would like to highlight some of them that deserve your attention more. So, let’s get started!
BetMGM Online Casino
Without any doubt, BetMGM is one of the leading WV online casinos, and there are a few reasons why we have such an opinion. For starters, newly registered players can claim a $25 no-deposit bonus immediately after registration. After that, they can enjoy a 100% deposit bonus up to $1000. In addition, we need to praise the ongoing promotions they are regularly updating, which make the gambling journey on their website more comfortable.
Apart from everything we said, one of the main highlights is their sports betting offer. The casino has even been awarded for this segment of business. The betting section is supported by live streams, which helps you make better decisions in real-time.
DraftKings Casino Online
This West Virginia online casino has a very good Dynasty reward program that can bring you different real-life prizes. We also admire their slot gaming section, which has more than 600 titles in one place, all developed by leading software development companies.
Other than that, there are two more things we would like to highlight about this online gambling legal site. Their customer support is pretty professional and quick. We got all the answers within minutes! DraftKings lets its registered players to use various legitimate payment methods to play casino games for real money, withdraw their winnings, and, eventually, claim deposit match bonuses.
Golden Nugget Online Casino
Golden Nugget online casino has been awarded multiple times for being the best casino in different segments. We are primarily impressed by their pretty cool casino games section. In one place, you can find over 900 slots, around 50 table games and a decent number of live casino games.
Our team is impressed by the sleek design and easy navigation of the PC version. At the same time, we appreciate the casino’s effort to boost the quality of its native mobile app (available for iOS and Android). Via your smartphone, you can easily deposit funds, claim bonuses, or contact customer service.
Games Available at Legal Online Casinos
Licensed and legal casinos in West Virginia offer a wide range of top-notch casino games. Indeed, some of them do offer sports betting, but the casino section is their main focus. The diversity of gaming catalogs is why they are more popular than brick-and-mortar casinos in WV. Let’s find out more about each of them.
Slots
You are probably very happy when you see hundreds of slot machines in land-based casinos. Well, the excitement will be even more significant when you get the chance to enjoy a few hundred (close to a thousand) slot casino games at the best WV casinos online.
The slot category is usually full of different types of games. You can find online slots with various themes, number of paylines and payout systems. At the same time, they come with different odds for gambling winnings, which is another reason why you should carefully choose what you play.
Progressive slots usually come with lower RTPs because they need to generate enough money for each of the jackpot prizes. If you plan to play regular slots, we recommend you focus on those with RTP higher than 96%.
Table Games
Roulette, blackjack, and baccarat are three popular table games among West Virginians. In most cases, WV online casinos will offer different variants of these RNG games. That way, each player will find something that suits his gambling style and preferences.
Live Casino Games
Live dealer games are an essential part of the offer for many gamblers in WV. Since they can’t often visit the brick-and-mortar casinos, this seems like the best alternative they could get.
In this section, you can find all the table games, online poker, and so-called show games. Players can follow the draws via high-quality live streams thanks to the collaboration with the best software development companies. Hosts are trained professionals who will do whatever it takes to make your gambling sessions more entertaining.
Video Poker
30 years ago, no know would have believed that playing video poker would be possible via WV casino apps. We will give ourselves the right to say that video poker is a true old-school casino game. That’s why people love it; it brings them a sense of nostalgia. Yet, that’s not all. Most video poker games available at VW online casinos come with extremely high RTP. The risks you have to take with some of them are pretty low.
Instant Games
Gambling sites in West Virginia regularly upgrade their offers to remain competitive in the market. New instant games, like Bingo and Keno, are usually part of that process. According to many experienced gamblers, there are “piece of cake games” because they don’t require gambling experience at all. Still, remember that they come with a pretty high house edge!
Mobile Compatibility of Legal Online Casinos
Just like anywhere else in the world, gamblers in West Virginia enjoy the benefits of online gambling. This way of having fun is more practical and flexible. You don’t need to experience back pain while gambling on a computer or bring the laptop when you go outside of the home. Just charge your battery, ensure a stable internet connection, and enjoy online casinos from any location.
The question is – do West Virginia online casinos allow people to gamble via their phone? If you pick the best ones, the answer is YES.
There are two ways to access your favorite WV online casinos via smartphone. The more popular option is downloading an app. Online casino sites in this state often invest a lot of money into developing functional applications. They want to ensure that mobile casino players don’t experience any bags while enjoying popular casino games. Also, navigation and design are usually top-notch, which only ensures an adequate gambling experience.
Best gambling sites in West Virginia will allow everyone to download their app for free! This includes users of both operating systems, iOS and Android! In most cases, the download process starts directly from their website. With a couple of clicks, you can complete the process!
Another mobile gambling option is also legit. Thanks to HTML5 technology, accessing online casino games via a web browser downloaded on your smartphone is possible. Their platform will automatically adapt to the features of your mobile. Just type in the casino’s domain name, and that’s it! The schedule of all the elements is almost identical to the one you can witness on the PC version.
Does mobile gambling come with certain disadvantages? Well, the screen is smaller, just like all the commands and buttons you have to use while gambling. Still, with a good app, there won’t be anything that bothers you.
Responsible Gambling in West Virginia
The purpose of this guide is not to promote gambling. We are aware of the gambling problem that a lot of people in West Virginia (and the entire USA) have. Getting addicted to casino games is always possible, but most things depend on your character and approach toward this entertaining activity.
Licensed online casinos in West Virginia must participate in responsible gambling! The good news is that they offer some cool services to help people keep their self-discipline at the highest level.
For starters, players are allowed to make particular limits on their online casino account. If spending too much time on casino sites is the problem you deal with, simply limit the length of your gambling sessions. If you are unaware of the money you spend, limit your daily, weekly or monthly deposits. These services will ensure that you never spend more than you can afford.
Unfortunately, we know that some people go deep into gambling addiction. Because of that, legitimate WA casino sites allow players to self-exclude. They can do that for a limited number of days or months; however, they can also do that permanently if their addiction has reached its highest levels.
The good news is that the best WV online casinos collaborate with different mental health institutions. They will give you information on how to get in touch with experts who can help you solve your problem without any consequences. We hope that there won’t be a reason to do such a thing. Remember the essential thing – online casino gambling is the source of fun; it won’t make you rich!
Conclusion
We have finally reached the end of this long-lasting guide. Players should be properly informed before joining any online casino club. The good news is that you now know that online gambling in West Virginia is entirely legal. Of course, that counts only for gamblers older than 21. Don’t even try to trick the system; the best gambling sites will always ask to verify your identity by taking a photo of your ID.
License is a meaningful feature. It has to be valid and issued by the West Virginia Lottery Commission. That is the only valid confirmation of the legacy of any casino. After that, you should focus on checking other essential features such as bonuses, games, payment methods and customer service.
Properly organize your casino credits, and don’t ever spend more than you can afford. The purpose of online gambling in WV is to have fun. Exiting promotions and high RTP games are there to raise your chances of winning real money. Yet, if you don’t, better luck next time (don’t chase losses).
Check out some of our recommended online casinos available in West Virginia. Enjoy gambling and have fun!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is online casino gambling legal in West Virginia?
Yes, online gambling is legal in the entire West Virginia state. However, you must be aware of certain legal requirements. First, you must be over 21 to participate in online sports betting and casino-style games. On the other hand, online casinos must have a verified license issued by a state regulatory body. If the license is invalid, no one guarantees your data will remain safe or that you will get the money you luckily won.
How can I ensure a casino is legally operating in West Virginia?
There are multiple ways to do that. First, they need to have a valid WV Lottery Commission license. The operators must apply for it every five years. The license number should be highlighted in the footer of the website. Use that number on the official website of the responsible institution to get more information on the license. You should see when the casino got it and when it needs to re-apply for it.
What types of games are available at legal WV Online Casinos?
Legal online gambling sites tend to offer as many as possible casino games on their platform. Online slot machines are usually their primary focus (you can find a few hundred of them). Other than that, you can enjoy table games, instant games, online poker and a live casino section.
Are there any specific regulations for online casino bonuses?
Yes, each bonus comes with certain terms and conditions, and that’s a completely normal thing. You will need to meet wagering requirements, minimum deposit requirements, and a deadline for meeting the wagering rate. Some casinos may even limit the games on which you can spend your bonus credits or free spoons.
How can I deposit and withdraw money at Legal West Virginia Online Casinos?
Online gambling in West Virginia is simplified with a large number of different payment methods. Credit/debit cards and e-wallets are available on every gambling site. You can use VISA, MasterCard, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill and similar options. The most advanced casinos will even let you gamble with cryptos. However, their number is not too big.
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