West Virginia Gambling Sites – A Guide to Gambling In West Virginia

West Virginia is a gambling-friendly state. You can find casinos, a lottery, dog tracks, and practically all forms of gambling available in the state.

The future of West Virginia gambling sites also looks bright.

On this page, we offer a complete guide to the laws and situations related to gambling in West Virginia.

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Online Gambling and West Virginia Law

Also On This Page

More Gambling Laws in West Virginia

• Casino Games (Legal)
• Sports Betting (Pari-Mutuel Betting Only)
• Race Betting (Pari-Mutuel Wagering Only)
• Lottery (Legal)
• Bingo (Charitable Gaming Only)
• Social Gambling (Unclear)

Casino Games: Legal

Most casino games are found at the racetracks located in West Virginia.

Here’s what the West Virginia Lottery Racetrack Table Games says about authorized and unauthorized games:

“The casino licensee shall not permit a table game to be played if the game is not approved by the Commission.

The Commission shall authorize one or more variations of the following table games to be played at the casino:

• Baccarat
• Twenty-one or blackjack
• Poker
• Craps
• Roulette
• Wheel of fortune
• and Other table games expressly permitted by the Commission.

The Commission shall not authorize the following games to be played at the casino:

• Punchboard
• Faro
• Numbers ticket
• Push card
• Jar ticket
• Pull tab

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the West Virginia Lottery Commission may license any casino to sell regular West Virginia Lottery games authorized by W.Va. Code §29-22-1 et seq.”

The racetrack casinos are required to use a cashless system such as chips, with the exception of video lottery games.

Here’s what the West Virginia state lottery website says about the video lottery:

“In the state of West Virginia, Video Lottery is the legal use of player interactive gaming machines similar to those commonly known as “slot” machines in the casino industry. As of 1994, video lottery was approved, with restraints set forth by law, at West Virginia’s four thoroughbred and greyhound racetracks. The issue had to be approved by voters in the counties in which each track is located.

In 2001, the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill allowing for a limited number of video lottery machines in adult environments. It is referred to as the “Limited Video Lottery Act.” The measure outlawed pre-existing “gray” or “poker” machines and restricted the number of Limited Video Lottery terminals to no more than 9,000. The environments in which they are permitted are classified as adult-only based on the fact that they possess a Class A, Alcohol Beverage Control Administration (ABCA) license and meet various other legal requirements.”

Sports and Race Betting: Pari-Mutuel Wagering Only

Both greyhound and horse racing are legal in West Virginia, with pari-mutuel wagering on the races allowed. Simulcast betting is also allowed.

Here’s what the West Virginia Code says about pari-mutuel betting:

“The pari-mutuel system of wagering upon the results of any horse or dog race at any horse or dog race meeting conducted or held by any licensee is hereby authorized if, and only if, such pari-mutuel wagering is conducted by the licensee within the confines of the licensee’s horse racetrack or dog racetrack and the provisions of section one, article ten, chapter sixty-one of this code relating to gaming shall not apply to the pari-mutuel system of wagering in manner and form as provided in this article at any horse or dog race meeting within this state where horse or dog racing is permitted for any purse by any licensee. A licensee shall permit or conduct only the pari-mutuel system of wagering within the confines of the licensee’s racetrack at which any horse or dog race meeting is conducted or held.”

West Virginia has two horse racing tracks and two greyhound racing tracks.

Lottery: Legal

West Virginia does have a state-regulated lottery.

Here’s what the West Virginia Lottery website says:

“West Virginia voters approved the Lottery Amendment to the State Constitution on November 6, 1984 by a vote of 67% for the amendment. The West Virginia Legislature passed the Lottery Act in April of 1985 and it was signed into law that May by Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr.

West Virginia’s first instant tickets were sold on January 9, 1986 and more than 1.5 million tickets were sold on that first day.”

Today the West Virginia Lottery sells over $1.1 billion every year, with more than $520 million of that money going toward various things in West Virginia, including schools, senior citizens, tourism, and state parks.

Here’s what the West Virginia Lottery website says about their games:

“The Lottery sells more than 40 different instant games a year, offers the popular in-state online drawing games of Keno, Daily 3, Daily 4, and Cash 25, offers the Multi-State Lottery games of Powerball®, Mega Millions® and Hot Lotto, regulates limited video lottery, and regulates video lottery and table games at the state’s four racetrack casinos and the Greenbrier Resort.”

Bingo: Charitable Gaming Only

Here’s what the West Virginia Charitable Gaming Laws says about bingo:

“The legislature, in recognition of the recreational enjoyment the people of West Virginia receive from playing bingo and of the need charitable and public service organizations have for a practicable way of raising funds, declares its intent to grant the privilege of holding bingo games to those organizations which qualify for a license as provided below.”

Only qualified organizations can get a license to hold bingo games. The organizations that qualify include charitable or public service organizations.

Here’s the definition of charitable or public service organizations according to West Virginia Charitable Gaming Laws:

“a bona fide, not for profit, tax-exempt, benevolent, educational, philanthropic, humane, patriotic, civic, religious, fraternal, or eleemosynary incorporated or unincorporated association or organization; or a volunteer fire department, rescue unit or other similar volunteer community service organization or association; but does not include any nonprofit association or organization, whether incorporated or not, which is organized primarily for the purposes of influencing legislation or supporting or promoting the campaign of any candidate for public office.”

Here are the prizes that may be awarded and the limitation on prizes:

“during the period of a license the average total prizes awarded by a licensee, or in the aggregate by two or more limited occasion licensees holding a joint bingo occasion, for any bingo occasion held pursuant to an annual or limited occasion license, may not exceed ten thousand dollars in value.

Prizes may be money or merchandise other than beer, nonintoxicating beer, wine, spirits or alcoholic liquor as defined in section five, article one, chapter sixty of this code. If the prizes are merchandise, the value assigned to them is their fair market value at the time of purchase.”

Social Gambling: Unclear

Social gambling laws are unclear in West Virginia.

Here’s what the West Virginia Code says about gambling on games of chance:

“If any person at any place, public or private, bet or wage money or other thing of value on any game of chance, or shall knowingly furnish any money or other thing of value to any other person to bet or wage on any such game, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than five nor more than three hundred dollars, and shall, if required by the court, give security for his good behavior for one year, and in default of the payment of such fine and the costs and the execution of such bond, if such bond be required, shall be imprisoned in the county jail not less than ten nor more than thirty days.”

Owning a gaming table or device and gambling on a game of chance are illegal, but no laws in the West Virginia Code talk about games of skill, like poker, being played in a social setting.

It’s common for low-stake poker games to take place at West Virginia homes, and the law enforcement in West Virginia doesn’t seem interested in prohibiting them.

Gambling Venues in West Virginia

History of Gambling in West Virginia

Additional Resources

• West Virginia Lottery
• West Virginia Racing Commission

The Future & Your Views

Overall, West Virginia is a gambling-friendly state. The casino and racetrack establishments offer a range of casino games, slot machines, and pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound racing. A state lottery and charitable bingo games are also legal in the state.

West Virginia gambling sites with state-regulated poker or other casino games could be a thing of the near future. With a bill currently in consideration to legalize online gambling in West Virginia, it’s possible to see West Virginia gambling sites within the next year.

Delaware has shown interest in partnering up with West Virginia if they legalize online gambling in order to allow residents from their state to play on each other’s state-regulated sites.