Key facts
- Online casinos in West Virginia are regulated by the West Virginia Lottery Commission under the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act.
- The law allows at most five interactive wagering licenses, tied to the state's licensed racetrack casinos and The Greenbrier resort.
- Online casino games are legally West Virginia Lottery games owned by the state.
- Anyone on the Commission's exclusion list or an operator's own exclusion list may not wager online.
West Virginia Lottery Commission
West Virginia · North America- Regulator
- West Virginia Lottery Commission
- Short name
- WV Lottery
- Jurisdiction
- West Virginia
- Region
- North America
- Scope
- State
- Status
- Active licensing
- Player protection
- License types
- Interactive wagering license
- Products
- casino, poker, sports betting
Player protection is our editorial rating. High: enforced rules, a working complaints or ADR route and a public licensee register. Medium: rules exist but enforcement or complaint handling is limited. Low: little practical protection for players. How we rate.
Contents
Who regulates online casinos in West Virginia
The West Virginia Lottery Commission regulates online casinos in West Virginia. The legal basis is the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, passed as House Bill 2934 in the 2019 session and now article 22E of chapter 29 of the West Virginia Code. Under it, online casino games are West Virginia Lottery games owned by the state, run by licensed casinos as the Commission's agents.
The five-license limit
The law lets the Commission issue at most five interactive wagering licenses, and it ties online wagering to the state's licensed racetrack casinos and its historic resort hotel casino, The Greenbrier. That is why every West Virginia online casino names a land-based casino partner: one licensed casino can work with outside companies that run the online games under its license.
Playing from West Virginia
Licensed online casinos in West Virginia only take wagers from players who are physically in the state, through apps and websites the Commission has approved. Licensed sites check your location before you can play. Caesars Palace Online Casino, for example, requires players to be physically present in West Virginia when wagering there, and limits its welcome offer to players aged 21 or older.
Exclusion lists
The Interactive Wagering Act bars anyone on the Lottery Commission's exclusion list, or on an operator's own exclusion list, from wagering online. Ask the casino for its self-exclusion form, or contact the Lottery. More help is on our responsible gambling page.
Our player protection rating: medium
We rate West Virginia's protection as medium for one practical reason: the law is clear and exclusion lists apply online, but we could not find a public list of approved online casino websites on the Lottery's site, the kind of list New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan publish. Until we can point you to one, check that a site names its West Virginia casino partner before you sign up.
Sources
- West Virginia Code 29-22E-6: interactive wagering operator licensescode.wvlegislature.gov
- West Virginia Code 29-22E-15: authorization of interactive wagering and exclusion listscode.wvlegislature.gov
- House Bill 2934 (2019), West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, enrolled textwvlegislature.gov
- West Virginia Lotterywvlottery.com
Frequently asked questions
Who regulates online casinos in West Virginia?
The West Virginia Lottery Commission, under the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act (West Virginia Code chapter 29, article 22E).
How many online casino licenses can West Virginia issue?
At most five. The law ties them to the state's licensed racetrack casinos and the historic resort hotel casino, The Greenbrier.
Why are there more than five online casino brands in West Virginia?
Each licensed casino can work with outside companies that run the online games under its license, so one license can sit behind more than one brand.
Can I exclude myself from online casinos in West Virginia?
Yes. The law bars anyone on the Lottery Commission's exclusion list, or on an operator's own exclusion list, from wagering online.