Short Summary: This page looks at the different forms of gambling in the State of West Virginia, discusses the legality of online gambling and gives a detailed listing of all of the casinos in the state.
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It will come as a surprise to many readers that, âWild and Wonderful,â West Virginia, a state typically not thought of in the best if itâs thought of at all, has some of the most liberal gambling laws in the entire country.
In addition to five casinos, (four of which have either live greyhound or horse racing) virtually all other forms of gambling are also legal within the stateâs borders. Letâs address the different types of gambling available in the state:
It would be difficult to even talk about gambling in West Virginia without discussing greyhound racing.
Unfortunately, West Virginia is the only state where grayhound races are still organized. As of 2024, there are only two active greyhound racetracks in the United States, both located in the state of West Virginia.
What makes it difficult to talk about gambling in the state without discussing greyhound racing is the fact that itâs because of greyhound racing that the state even has casinos, or at least, that the state even got them when they did.
Pari-Mutuel wagering started in the state of West Virginia in the 1930âs and the opening of Charles Town Turf Club (now home to Hollywood Casino Charles Town) marked the first fixed location for horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering on same in the state. A few years later, Wheeling Downs would open on Wheeling Island, which is now home to Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack. Originally, Wheeling Downs served mainly as a location for harness racing in the state.
In 1951, Waterford Park (renamed Mountaineer Park and now home to Mountaineer Casino and Resort) would open and the horse racing fray. To this day, itâs the only mile-long horse racing track in the State of West Virginia.
In any event, the racing industry was financially successful for a few decades, but eventually racing started to fall out of favor with the general public.
West Virginia, in 1987, would first authorize video lottery terminals (slot machines) at Mountaineer Park. In 1994, this allowance would be expanded to legalize slot machines at all four of the racing locations within the state. In exchange, a percentage of the revenues from the slot machines are designated to the racing purses (which means the amount that the owners of the animals can win) for the various horse and greyhound races.
Portions of casino revenues also go directly to subsidies called, âBreeders funds,â to subsidize the racing industry, but these subsidies are most problematic for the stateâs two greyhound racing operatorsâWheeling Island Hotel, Casino, Racetrack and Mardi Gras Casino.
In effect, the slots were first authorized in 1994 in order to give these locations a chance to essentially use a different (read: popular) form of gambling to save the racetracks. In the case of Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island, voters in the respective counties also authorized the casino to have table games, (in 2007) but the same were tied to a percentage of those revenues going to the, âGreyhound Breeders Fund.â
In other words, the entire history of West Virginia casino gambling has effectively been to save the racetracks. Greyhound and horse racing have steadily declined in popularity since even 1994. For example, Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino and Racetrack would just as soon do away with greyhound racing as such operation loses money even over and above the Greyhound Breeders Fund and a portion of slot revenues allocated to the purses.
If that werenât bad enough, the current state laws also prevent the casinos from expanding. Ironically enough, Delaware North (owners of Wheeling Island) actually wanted to open a satellite location at a nearby shopping destination, âThe Highlands.â:
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately given that nobody knew Covid-19 was coming, the specific law of the states forces them to remain physically tied to their greyhound race track on Wheeling Island. In addition to being an opportunity to earn more revenues, the casino also pointed out that occasional flooding on Wheeling Island itself (happens every two or three years, on average) often forces the casino to close for multiple days at a time.
The Greyhound Breeders Fund continues to exist, in part, because the state maintains that the fund preserves jobs in the greyhound industry. However, the construction of a new Wheeling Island satellite facility at The Highlands would result in temporary infrastructure jobs as well as permanent jobs at the new gaming locationâso certainly jobs must not be the exclusive focus of the state on this one.
Both casinos have lobbied throughout the years to eliminate the ties to unprofitable money-sucking greyhound operations entirely. Additionally, they seek reductions from the state (almost every year) in the number of days that they have to run the greyhounds. The fact of the matter is this: The two casinos lose money on the activity every single day that races take place.
The original purpose of the Video Lottery in 1994 was to stabilize the properties financially and allow for the preservation of the racing industries within the state. Unfortunately, revenues from racing activities have continued to drop precipitously year-after-year (particularly with greyhounds) and the state had to allow a vote on Table Games so that even more money could go to an industry that was dismally failing.
Seriously, check out a greyhound race sometime at Wheeling Island! Youâll get to sit there and enjoy the suffering of dogs for no good reason all for the entertainment and delight of maybe four or five other people who are watching it live. Granted, simulcast wagering on these events may take place, but the casino operating the races makes very little on their cut of simulcast.
Another problem faced by the West Virginia casinos is out-of-state competition, particularly in bordering Pennsylvania. In those states, casinos are not tied to greyhound racing.
Itâs for that reason (as well as being newer) that the casinos in Ohio and Pennsylvania are arguably much better. They have better offerings, they have more table games, they have better returns on video poker, Pennsylvania casinos often offer free alcoholic beverages (Ohio casinos cannot because thatâs illegal in the state) and they can use more of their money to hopefully reinvest in the core assetsâthe casino components that actually make money!
Thatâs the story of the racing industry in West Virginia the last US state that, unfortunately, still offers greyhound racing. Eventually, the state will have to realize that the industry (especially greyhounds) is a money train with the faucet cranked to full blast and any funding diverted from casino revenues to such a worthless enterprise puts the casinos at a disadvantage to nearby competition.
Thatâs not to say that the State of West Virginia does everything wrong with respect to gambling. Not even close!
West Virginia is one of only a few states to have a fairly unrestrictive Limited Video Lottery system in place by which countless jobs have been created and players can enjoy access to live gambling machines often without leaving their city blocks!
The Limited Video Lottery Act of 2001 authorized establishments that were considered, âAdults Only,â to participate in the state video lottery and is really only restricted in of the total number of machines as well as what specific games are allowed.
Relevantly, the act allowed for only 9,000 such machines to be licensed across the state, which may not sound like very many, but itâs actually more than one machine per every 200 hundred residents! In fact, most years, the state lottery has not licensed the maximum allowed amount of machines.
Originally, private entities could have up to five (5) machines in a particular physical location with, âPrivate entities,â (such as fraternal clubs) allowed to have up to seven such machines. Those numbers have since expanded to seven (7) machines for public-facing locations and as many as ten (10) for fraternal clubs. Of course, the, âPrivate clubs,â arenât really THAT privateâŚif youâre not a member of the fraternity, then thereâs usually just a guestbook you have to sign if you want to play the machines there.
The physical locations are also not too strict about the, âAdults only,â aspect. For example, many restaurants that allow children to be present have Video Lottery Terminal rooms, thereâs just a requirement that the children are not allowed to enter that room. At one time, a person only had to be eighteen years old to play in casinos or these locations, but that has since been increased to twenty-one years of age.
These locations are not permitted to openly themselves as gambling locations. The only exception is a circular red sign that will appear on front doors (or window) saying, âWest Virginia Lottery Products Available Here.â Even with the inability to have exterior signage featuring words such as, âSlots,â or, âCasino,â these establishments are incredibly easy to find as they exist almost everywhere.
Most bars/lounges will have a Video Lottery room, or if they do not cater to underage folks at all, then the machines will often be located right in the main bar area. Many restaurants will feature a room for these machines, which includes several cafes. Many free-standing tobacco stores and outlets (the widest spread being perhaps Genoâs and/or Gumbyâs) will also have machines. Iâve even found two laundromats with machines in them.
Of course, not all of these locations are even meaningfully engaged in some other type of business. There are many locations that serve no real purpose except for existing as a Video Lottery Terminal parlor.
Hereâs some more information pertinent to advertising restrictions:
A. A. NO LICENSED VIDEO LOTTERY RETAILER SHALL ENGAGE IN PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES IN WHICH THE OFFERING OF LIMITED VIDEO LOTTERY IS REFERRED TO BY NAME OR LOCATION OF A LICENSED VIDEO RETAILER. AS USED IN THIS CONTEXT, THE COMMISSION HAS DETERMINED THAT THE âPROMOTIONAL ACTIVITYâ OR âPROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES â MEANS ANY MARKETING OR ADVERTISING ACT OR ACTION THAT, BY IDENTIFICATION OF THE NAME OR LOCATION OF A LICENSED LIMITED VIDEO RETAILER, ENCOURAGES VIDEO LOTTERY WAGERING AT SUCH RETAILER OR LICENSED LOCATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO GIVE-A-WAYS OF MONEY, COUPONS, GIFT CERTIFICATES, MERCHANDISE, TICKETS TO EVENTS, TRIPS OR FREQUENT PLAYER INCENTIVES. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO MEAN THAT LICENSED VIDEO LOTTERY RETAILERS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PROVIDING COMPLEMENTARY COFFEE, SOFT DRINKS, SNACKS OR APPETIZERS FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISES; PROVIDED, THAT THE PROVISION OF SAID BEVERAGES OR FOOD IS NOT LIMITED TO THE PLAYERS OF LICENSED VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINALS.
B. NOTHING IN THIS POLICY STATEMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO MEAN THAT LIMITED VIDEO LOTTERY RETAILERS ARE PRECLUDED FROM ADVERTISING OR PROMOTING OTHER LAWFUL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CO-LOCATED ON THE SAME PREMISES AS VIDEO LOTTERY TERMINALS. THE RETAILER MAY ENGAGE IN PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT INCLUDE OR REFER TO THOSE LAWFUL ACTIVITIESâŚ
In other words, these locations are not allowed to have any sort of, âPoints,â or comps aside from little snacks, soda/pop or coffee that should be given freely to anyone on the premises. Technically, they are to give the free coffee, pop/soda or snacks to anyone, but that doesnât happen in practice. If you go in there and just plop down drinking pop and eating Little Debbie cakes, itâs a pretty safe bet youâll be asked to either play something or leave.
Most of these locations do offer these things for free as an enticement to players. In fact, Iâve only ever visited one free standing location (not attached to a bar or restaurant) in which these things are not free. Bars and restaurants will typically charge you for beverages anyway, though there are some that will not if you are actively playing in the video lottery room or area.
Despite some claims from the casino industry to the contrary, (particularly in a state such as Pennsylvania where casinos actively campaign against any gambling competition) these places seem to coexist quite well with the casinos in West Virginia. Compared to casinos, âParlors,â as they call them, are relatively quiet and peaceful. In addition to that, they are convenient for most residents.
The only place where you might expect to find lottery machines that you wonât is most gas stations. My assumption is that theyâre worried people will park at the pumps, go in and start playing, then the pumps will be all clogged up with cars and theyâll have to chase all the players out of the lottery room to go park somewhere else. Iâve only seen one gas station that had any video lottery machines.
One might assume that the existence of casinos and limited video lottery parlors would be detrimental to Traditional Lottery, and while thatâs probably true to some extent, the traditional lottery industry still performs reasonably well. Itâs also worth noting that all casino and VLT gambling, in some form or fashion, goes through the West Virginia State Lottery.
With that, letâs take a look at the West Virginia Report For Fiscal Year of 2023.
The West Virginia Lottery reported gross sales suring $1.32 billion for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, exceeding initial projections by around $283.8 million. From these sales, the Lottery was able to allocate $564.2 million in proceeds to the State, with Limited Video Lottery (LVL) revenues reaching an all-time high of $493.6 million.
Total prizes and commissions from all gaming types reached over $699 million, benefiting players, retailers, and casinos alike. Fiscal Year 2023 transfers from various gaming operations included: $53.5 million from the Traditional Lottery, $230.4 million from Racetrack Video Lottery, $246.3 million from Limited Video Lottery, and $17.3 million from table games.
Plus, transfers included $2.57 million from the Greenbrier Historic Resort, $4.5 million from sports wagering, and $21.9 million from interactive wagering.
Lottery proceeds significantly numerous state programs benefiting West Virginians. For the 2023 state budget, $564.2 million was transferred, including $120.4 million for education, $80 million for senior services, $62.9 million for tourism, $118.2 million to the General Fund, and $46.1 million for infrastructure. Other agencies received $136.6 million, which encomed $29 million for the PROMISE Scholarship and $621,500 for veterans. County and local governments received a total of $29.3 million.
With total operating costs at 3.5% of overall sales, the Lottery generated a surplus of $141.1 million, available for further legislative appropriations.
For West Virginiaâs 2023 fiscal year, the Lottery reported various revenue sources, but specific âtotal lossesâ per resident werenât disclosed in the public fiscal summary.
Considering that West Virginia, along with Mississippi, Arkansas, New Mexico, Alabama, and Oklahoma, is among the poorest states in the U.S., the significant lottery sales data indicates two key points: residents are seeking âinstantâ solutions to their financial challenges, and, at least for now, it appears they have no intention of stopping their lottery ticket purchases.
The gambling fun doesnât stop in West Virginia with pari-mutuel, casinos and lottery. Many forms of Charitable Gambling are also permitted throughout the state.
The two forms of Charitable Gambling permitted by the state are Bingo and Raffles. The laws for both can be found here.
Covered by Article 20 and Article 21, so letâs go over some of the highlights:
The first thing covered is that entities donât necessarily have to be licensed to conduct, âOne-off,â type raffles provided they have been bona fide non-profit entities in the state for a period of at least one year, will have no prize exceed $4,000 and do not anticipate more than $15,000 in raffle revenue within a calendar year:
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this article to the contrary, any charitable or public service organization which has been in existence in this state for at least one year is hereby authorized to conduct raffles without compliance with the licensing provisions of this article: Provided, That any prize awarded in any single raffle at a raffle occasion may not exceed in value the sum of $4,000: Provided, however, That the cumulative gross proceeds derived from the conduct of raffle occasions by any such charitable or public service organization shall not exceed $15,000 during any calendar year: Provided further, That any such organization shall not be subject to the record keeping provisions of section sixteen of this article but shall maintain a separate ing for the operation of raffles. All records required by this section shall be maintained for at least three calendar years and shall be available for reasonable inspection by the commissioner.
Thatâs pretty lenient for smaller organizations that just need to make a few extra bucks here and there throughout the year and might not be big enough (or have enough revenue expectation) to justify cutting through all of that red tape.
West Virginiaâs fees for a raffle license for all other organizations are particularly lenient. In addition to the fact that the state takes no cut whatsoever of raffle proceeds, the licensing fee is only $500 per annum and comes with relatively little oversight aside from that:
A license fee shall be paid to the Tax Commissioner for annual licenses in the amount of $500. A license fee shall be paid to the Tax Commissioner for a limited occasion license in the amount of $50. All revenue from said license fee shall be deposited in the special revenue established under the authority of section two-a, article nine, chapter eleven of this code and used to the investigatory activities provided for in said section. The license fee imposed by this section is in lieu of all other license or franchise taxes or fees of this state and no county or municipality or other political subdivision of this state is empowered to impose a license or franchise tax or fee on any raffle or raffle occasion.
The gross proceeds derived from the conduct of a raffle occasion are exempt from state and local business and occupation taxes, income taxes, excise taxes and all special taxes. Any charitable or public service organization conducting a raffle occasion pursuant to the provisions of this article is exempt from payment of consumers sales and service taxes, use taxes and all other taxes on all purchases for use or consumption in the conduct of a raffle occasion and is exempt from collecting consumers sales taxes on any ission fees and sales of raffle tickets.
The regulations over and above these mostly have to do with the conduct of the raffles themselves and limitations on how much raffle operators are to be compensated for the running of the raffles. Other regulations include the type of employees and wages that are permitted for other activities (such as custodial) related to the raffle.
The raffles are often 50/50 raffles with some Pull Tab type games that take place, typically in conjunction with Bingo sessions. For that reason, where thereâs Bingo, there will usually be raffles. Some organizations (such as parent-teacher organizations or fraternal organizations) will conduct raffles in absence of a bingo event, but other organizations generally do it in conjunction with Bingo.
The popularity of Charitable Gambling activities has remained strong by this day, with West Virginians increasingly participating in such events, particularly following the pandemic.
In this regard, at the beginning of 2024, the State strengthened the Responsible Gambling initiative and presented a new legislative act, the Responsible Gaming and Research Act (RGRA). The law serves the purpose of understanding and addressing problems in connection with gambling. Specifically, the law allows gaming operators of all categories and types to share player transaction data with West Virginia University. As stated, this will not violate the privacy of the players; shared data is used exclusively for research purposes, with the aim of promoting a safer gambling environment.
In of Bingo licenses, the entities that will be granted the opportunity to conduct Bingo events (upon application) basically follow the same rules as raffle organizations, as you can read here:
Any charitable or public service organization which has been in existence in this state two years prior to filing an application for a bingo license issued pursuant to section four or five of this article may hold bingo occasions in accordance with the provisions of this article during the time it holds a valid license.
Application for a bingo license shall be made to the Tax Commissioner and shall be on a form which shall be supplied by him or her. The application shall contain the information required by section seven of this article and any other information which the commissioner considers necessary. An application shall be filed not less than sixty days before the date when the applicant intends to hold its first bingo occasion. No bingo occasion may be held until an application filed in accordance with this article has been approved by the Tax Commissioner, and the bingo license has been received: Provided, That under no circumstances may a licensee organization conduct a bingo occasion before the sixty day filing period between the filing of the application and date of the first bingo occasion has elapsed: Provided, however, That the date the application is received by the Tax Commissioner shall begin the sixty day filing period. The Tax Commissioner shall send the applicant its license within five days after approval of the bingo application. If the filing period has elapsed, and the application has not been denied by the Tax Commissioner, and the license has not been received by the applicant, the applicant may consider the application approved and begin to hold bingo occasions. The Tax Commissioner shall send a bingo license to the applicant within five days after the expiration of the filing period if the application has not been otherwise denied.
The main difference between Bingo and Raffles is that Bingo is limited, per organization, to two sessions per week whereas raffles could theoretically take place every day if the revenues justified it. As mentioned before, most raffles in the state are conducted in conjunction with a Bingo event. Aside from that, the main thing you want to avoid is anyone under 18 playing Bingo.
The state recognizes that not all entities are going to want to hold Bingo events around the year (although many do, in fact, hold two sessions per week, year round) and because of this, they will often issue limited licenses for the conduct of Bingo as you can find here:
A limited occasion license is valid only for the time period specified in the application and entitles only the licensee to hold a bingo occasion once every twenty-four hours for a time period not to exceed two weeks. Two or more organizations may hold a t bingo occasion provided each participating organization has been granted a limited occasion bingo license for such tly held occasion. No bingo occasion held pursuant to a limited occasion license may exceed twelve hours in duration. Each charitable or public service organization which desires to hold bingo occasions pursuant to this section, or any of its auxiliaries or other organizations otherwise d with it, shall obtain a limited occasion license notwithstanding the fact that it holds a valid annual license: Provided, That no licensee which holds an annual license may obtain more than one limited occasion license.
Only three limited occasion licenses per year in the aggregate may be granted to a charitable or public service organization and all of its auxiliaries or other associations or organizations otherwise d with it, none of which hold an annual license. For purposes of this section, the various branches, chapters or lodges of any national association or organization or local churches of a nationally organized church are not considered s or auxiliaries of each other. The commissioner shall by regulation provide the manner for determining to which organization, whether the parent organization, an or an auxiliary, the three licenses allowed under this section are granted.
A licensee shall display its limited occasion license conspicuously at the location where the bingo occasion is held.
All bingo occasions shall be open to the general public: Provided, That no licensee shall permit or allow any individual under the age of eighteen to participate in the playing of any bingo game with knowledge or reason to believe that the individual is under the age of eighteen: Provided, however, That an individual under the age of eighteen may attend the playing of a bingo game when accompanied by and under the supervision of an adult relative or a legal guardian of said individual.
Typically, this will be Bingo held in conjunction with some other event, such as a County Fair. Itâs for that reason that the Bingo may be conducted as one session per day for up to two consecutive weeks.
Interestingly, individuals under the age of 18 may play limited Bingo provided they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Information on license fees generally depend on the type of group (maximum fee: $500) as well as the revenues that will be garnered by the license holder, and are quoted below:
(a) A license fee shall be paid to the Tax Commissioner for annual licenses in the amount of $500, except that for volunteer or nonprofit groups who gross less than $20,000 the fee shall be $200 and for bona fide senior citizen organizations the fee is $50. A license fee shall be paid to the Tax Commissioner for a limited occasion license in the amount of $100. A license fee of $500 shall be paid to the Tax Commissioner for a state fair license as provided in section twenty-two of this article. All revenue from said license fee shall be deposited in the special revenue established under the authority of section two-a, article nine, chapter eleven of this code and used to the investigatory activities provided for in said section. The license fee imposed by this section is in lieu of all other license or franchise taxes or fees of this state and no county or municipality or other political subdivision of this state is empowered to impose a license or franchise tax or fee.
The average total number of prizes to be awarded at a Bingo session is not to exceed $10,000:
Except as otherwise provided in section twenty-two of this article, 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 t bingo occasion, for any bingo occasion held pursuant to an annual or limited occasion license, may not exceed $10,000 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.
But, it says AVERAGE for a reason. There are a few exceptions to this rule:
Once per year, an organization may apply for a Super Bingo License, by which an individual Bingo event may award up to $50,000 in prizes for one session. The cost of such license is $5,000, so as a practical matter, this never happens.
More commonly, regularly occurring Bingo events will have a player-funded progressive (sometimes more than one) which is often a Cover-All within a certain number of, âCalls,â (numbers called by the Bingo Drawer). Generally speaking, the prize will decrease in value the more numbers that are needed for someone to win the top possible prize.
Because of the way the rules work, the prize often increases weekly until it hits an amount at which it is, âCapped,â which is usually decided by the operator. Once the top prize hits this, âCapped,â amount, the operator will usually award the prize regardless of the number of calls it takes for someone to win, or in the alternative, the player-funded pool will begin accumulating for the next progressive prize until the current one is awarded.
The remaining regulations are essentially a variant of the same for raffle activities and the State of West Virginia takes no cut of the Bingo revenues over and above the licensing fees.
It largely depends on the town in question, but Charitable Bingo is a thriving enterprise in many towns within the state. For example, Moundsville, West Virginia has a population of not even 8,500 people and conducts no fewer than five weekly bingo events that this writer is aware of. Two events are at the Fairgrounds, two at the firehouse and one is at a Catholic Churchâs school cafeteria. These events will often draw as many as 100 Bingo players.
The short story is that West Virginians LOVE to gamble! In fairness, some of the Bingo participants really consider it less gambling and more of a social activity.
Well, hereâs what the code says:
§61-10-4. Playing or betting at gaming tables and devices; playing or betting on games at hotels and public places; penalty.
If any person bet or play at any such gaming table, bank or device as is mentioned in the first section of this article, or if, at any hotel or tavern, or other public place, or place of public resort, he play at any game except bowls, chess or backgammon, draughts or a licensed game, or bet on the sides of those who play at any game, whether the game be permitted or licensed or not, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than five nor more than $100, and shall, if required by the court, give security for his good behavior for one year, or, in default thereof, may be imprisoned in the county jail not more than three months.
§61-10-5. Betting on games of chance; furnishing money or thing of value therefor; penalty.
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 $5 nor more than $300, 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.
In other words, all forms of gambling not specifically authorized by the state and in conduct allowed by the state by way of a licensed operator are, indeed, technically illegal.
As strange as it seems, even a cash home poker game would technically be illegal in the State of West Virginia, even if no rake is taken. As a practical matter, we would assume that people who choose to hold a cash poker game at home (assuming there is no house rake) would not often be charged with anything as long as they are not otherwise creating a disturbance, but youâre doing so at your own risk.
In fact, there have sometimes been charitable poker games to take place at bars in West Virginia. There are even some people who think such games are legal, but West Virginia charitable gambling laws only allow for Bingo and Raffles.
Similarly to other states, West Virginia has allowed for legalized and regulated online casinos to operate within the state as long as they are also tied to a physical casino. Perhaps the most well-known of these within the state is BetMGM.
Many offshore online casinos operate within the state and compete with the licensed and regulated casinos, but they are technically behaving illegally and it is also technically a misdemeanor (though we are aware of no instance of a player being charged) for players to play at them as such constitutes unlawful gambling. In any case, the operators of such websites are offshore, and therefore, out of West Virginiaâs legal reach.
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In 2018, West Virginia became the fifth state to legalize Sports Betting in both its physical casinos and any online casino (since then) linked to one of the stateâs physical casinos.
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West Virginiaâs sports betting industry grows since itâs launching, with notable increases in both online and retail betting. By September 2024, the stateâs sports betting handle reached $46.4 million, with online wagers dominating at $41.7 million and retail contributing $4.7 million. Septemberâs revenue for operators reached $7.1 million, a significant 48% increase compared to last year. Greenbrier, partnered with FanDuel and BetMGM, and Charles Town with DraftKings, ESPN Bet, and Fanatics were top earnersâ
ESPN Bet launched in West Virginia in November 2023, marking an expansion of online betting options. With Fanatics Sportsbook now also in place, the stateâs market is more competitive, which could contribute to further handle and revenue growthâ
In summation, West Virginia has every kind of gambling a person could ever want, unless a person wants to play social home gambling games with no money going to a, âHouse,â in the form of a house edge or rake. Theyâre just out of luck, then.
But, with seemingly every possible form of gambling available to its residents, West Virginia is one of the most liberal gambling states in the country and has, in fact, been one of the most friendly states to gamblers for a very long time!
West Virginia is home to five Land Casinos of which none are Native American owned and four are racinos, which in the case of the state, just means they are tied to a racetrack.
The Greenbrier is a resort located within the state and represents the only casino that is not tied to a racetrack. We will get into that a bit under that heading.
The Greenbrier resort is located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and is one of only a few luxury resorts within the state. The Greenbrier existed for a long-time without a casino, but facing financial hardship, the State of West Virginia allowed for a Greenbrier County public referendum to decide whether or not the resort could add a casino.
In November 2008, the voters of the County voted to approve such a casino, but it was too late for the then-owners of the resort, who would file for bankruptcy in March of the following year. The property would be bought out of bankruptcy by the Justice Family Group whose patriarch, Jim Justice, is the Governor of the state as of the time of this writing.
The Justice Family Group would buy the resort out of bankruptcy (there was originally a deal with MGM Resorts that fell through) and would add a casino to the property.
The way that this casino works is that only, âGuests,â of the Greenbrier are permitted to enter the casino. In general , you do not necessarily have to be an overnight guest at the resort, but you must also be at the resort for some other purpose (such as dining or golfing) in order to be allowed access to the casino.
The offer of this luxurious resort, which, we repeat, is only available to hotel guests, includes over 31 table games, more than 160 slot machines, a FanDuel Sportsbook, and online and mobile gaming possibilities.
The casino is notable for a couple of other reasons: The first is that itâs probably one of the few casinos in the country whose table game win exceeds its machine win. The second reason is that itâs probably one of the only casinos in the country with a dress code (after 7pm)âand a fairly strict one, at that.
If you care to visit this well-appointed and quiet casino, as mentioned, youâll have to be a guest of the property in some other capacity.
The Hollywood Casino is a racino located near Charles Town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. The property is home to one of two operating horse racing tracks in the state. It is operated by Penn National Gaming with the physical property owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties.
The horse racing events held at this location are Thoroughbred Racing and the track measures six furlongs. There was previously another track and grandstand nearby, but it has since been demolished and is used as a training facility for the horses who race at this track.
This property is scenically located as it is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. The hotel is known as, âThe Inn at Charles Town,â and features several guest rooms as well as suites of varying size and amenitiesâall of the suites overlook the track.
The hotel is itself clean and relatively simply appointed. Itâs nothing world-beating and probably compares to a limited service chain hotel, such as a Comfort Suites or something along those lines. Youâre probably coming to this property for the casino anyway.
The casino floor is home to 1900 slot machines, video poker, keno and table.
Table Games offered include Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Let it Ride, Mini-Baccarat, Spanish 21, High Card Flush, Heads Up Hold âEm Poker, Mississippi Stud. Of course, not all of these games are going to be operating around the clock, so we would strongly recommend calling in advance if youâre looking for a particular game aside from Blackjack.
This casino is also home to poker games: Limit and No-limit Texas Hold âEm, Limit and Pot-Limit Omaha 8 and Pot-Limit Omaha. Poker rooms operate according to the following schedule: Monday-Tuesday: Closed, Wednesday: 9AM â 3AM, Thursday: 9AM â 3AM, Friday: 9AM â 6AM, Saturday: 9AM â 6AM, Sunday: 9AM â 3AM.
They have creatively named the propertyâs sportsbook, âThe Sportsbook,â and it is located near the Sportsbook sports bar. The property is proud to let you know that they have around fifty feet of wall space dedicated to big screen TVâs so that you can get your money down and watch the action from the comfort of just about anywhere in the book.
Aesthetically speaking, itâs just your typical Hollywood Casino that has the red, black and gold generic aesthetic. In of ambiance, if youâve been to one Hollywood, then youâve been to all of them.
The Event Center is the aptly-named place for concerts, comedy and sometimes magic acts. It features current well-known comedy names and the musical acts are usually nationally known talents who are a little past their prime.
Eateries include the aforementioned Sportsbook Bar, which features American bar style food. The Final Cut Steakhouse, as with many Hollywood properties, is the fine dining choice for this property and, in theory, has a dress code; itâs nothing outstandingâas with all things Hollywood, if youâve been to one, then youâve been to them all. The third eatery is The Eatery by Fabio Viviani, it featured prepackaged items and made to order casual American food, for the most part.
Fans of oriental cuisine can enjoy a meal from the rich menu at 9 Dragons, featuring a selection of the most popular Asian dishes.
As of 2024, Mardi Gras Casino and Resort is one of the last two venues in the United States offering live greyhound racing. In its well-equipped 65,000-square-meter casino hall, youâll find over 700 slot machines, 35 live table games, and several poker tables available from Wednesday to Saturday.
As for rooms and suites, they could be described as straightforward and modest. While itâs not luxury in the style of top Las Vegas resorts, you can expect clean, comfortable, and spacious rooms. Hotel guests enjoy complimentary access to the fitness center, along with a continental breakfast included after each paid night.
Fans of oriental cuisine can enjoy a meal from the rich menu at 9 Dragons, featuring a selection of the most popular Asian dishes.
Mardi Gras doesnât have a sportsbook, per se, but you can make wagers on sports at the casino cage area during certain hours of the day and there are five betting terminals available if cage wagering is unavailable.
The property is home to a relatively large sports bar called The Sports Bar (creative!) with some grab nâ go items as well as traditional American bar/pub fare.
The bar and restaurant options are quite extensive, and besides the well-known Sports bar, you can relax, dine, and enjoy drinks at The French Quarter, CafĂŠ Orleans, Jackson Square, Tiki Bar, First Turn Express, and Bourbon Bar.
This property is located in an unincorporated area known as Chester, West Virginia (near New Cumberland) along WV State Route 2.
This property has seen its fair share of ownership changes. We will only go as far back as 1987, when it was owned by the Ogden Corporation, who owned a wide variety of West Virginia business interests. At that time, it was renamed to Mountaineer Park from its previous name of Waterford Park. Five years later, it was sold to a company called Excalibur Entertainment, then two Winners Entertainment two years later who later renamed the company MTR Gaming.
MTR Gaming then owned this property and a few other casino properties, such as Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio and Presque Isle Downs in the nearby Erie, Pennsylvania area. In 2014, El Dorado Gaming acquired MTR Gaming in a merger. In 2019, El Dorado would sell the physical property to Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Vici Properties and casino operations are now handled by Century Casinos.
Other than the ownership, very little about this property has meaningfully changed since the 1990âs. Slot machines were added in the early 90âs and Table Games in the late 2000âs.
If your journey brings you to this area, Mountaineer Casino Resort offers a stay in one of their standard rooms, or if youâre in the mood for something more luxurious, a suite. You can also enjoy a round of golf, take a dip in one of the two pools, or drop by the fitness club.
But letâs break it down⌠howâs the accommodation? Honestly, we werenât impressed. The hotel side of the resort feels more like a budget local hotel, and even the pricier suites fall short. The entire resort, at least at the time of writing, could really benefit from a thorough update. However, if a modern interior isnât a priority, this place does have plenty to keep you busy.
In addition to golf courses, pools, and the gym, youâll find a casino, Caesars sportsbook, and horse racing. The casino itself offers over 1,000 slot machines and more than 25 table games.
Eateries include the Gatsby Restaurant, LBV Steakhouse, Big Alâs,Mahogany Sports Bar, Center Bar and Vickarâs Concessions.
Hereâs their webpage for other entertainment.
Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack is a racino located in the Wheeling Island area of Wheeling, West Virginia. Situated along the Ohio River, while it may not be as run down as Mountaineer, itâs pretty close.
Wheeling Island (the casino, not the place) is another location previously owned by Ogden Corporation; it was sold to Delaware North in 1988 well prior to the authorization of casino gambling in the state.
The exterior of the casino is somewhat. The aesthetic isnât that bad, especially in the Summer, when flowers adorn the walkway leading up to the casino along with larger beds of flowers near the main entrance.
One thing that may seem odd to first-timers is that the main entrance of the casino has a small gift shop on the left, a waterfall in front, and then escalators, an elevator and a stairwell on either side. The reason for that is to put the casino floor itself above the flood areas, as mentioned before, Wheeling Island (the place) floods every few years.
The main entrance and approach (as well as signage) have a tropical theme, as do the names of some of the dining and drinking establishments inside, but nothing else about the aesthetics (aside from the hotel) has anything to do with the Tropics. Why tropical? I guess because of the word, âIsland.â
The property is home to a hotel tower consisting of eight stories, of which five stories actually have rooms. There are a few suites, but aside from being bigger, arenât meaningfully that much different from the other rooms. The tropical theme carries over to the hotel hallways and to some aspects of the rooms.
Surprisingly, the hotel rooms at Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack are actually really nice and very large. The king rooms, for example, feature a forty-two inch flat screen TV, a work desk and an office chair.
The property claims to be home to over 1,100 slot machines, and thatâs probably true. Denominations range from pennies to perhaps $5 denomination, although there are some $1 denomination machines in high-limit that you can bet as much as $50 on in one spin.
When it comes to table games, Wheeling Island features a solid selection of live options. Youâll find Blackjack, Craps, Roulette. Players can the action Sunday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m.
The sports betting room is quite spacious, though not particularly exclusive; it has a sparsely furnished seating area and a large bar with a massive TV overhead â nothing more, really. Wagers are placed at one of the Betly kiosks located inside the resort, with a flexible selection of sports that includes Australian Rules, Auto Racing, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Golf, Mixed Martial Arts, Soccer, and more.
The greyhound racing and simulcast area has two entrances. The first is to park on that side of the property and doors enter directly into it. The second way to get there is to go to the very back of the casino, down a stairwell, walk through a long hall, go up another stairwell, walk through another hall, go up yet another stairwell and youâll be there.
You wonât go hungry here; this place offers several dining options. If youâre looking for a more fancy meal, The Pointe Sea & Steak is the spot to be, where one of chefâs specialties is the Roast Prime Rib of Beef, a true American classic. For something quick, head to the food court, packed with fast food like sandwiches, pizza slices, and salads. Racing Concessions is the go-to bar for burger lovers, while the indecisive can find variety at the buffet table. Lastly, the sports bar doesnât serve food, but thereâs plenty of drinks, just like at the Sandbar.
What we have come to find is that West Virginia has virtually every form of gambling that you could ever want, but not in any form that you would want it. The nicest and biggest casino in the state is the Hollywood Charles Town, but it just follows the cookie-cutter Hollywood Casino blueprint. The stateâs other three casinos (not counting Greenbrier Resort because itâs not technically open to the general public) are mostly local spots youâd visit if they were in your neighborhood, rather than making a long drive for better service and entertainment.
In any case, the state has virtually every form of gambling that there is. If you live in the state, then youâll want for nothing, except maybe to have a full-scale casino closer to you.
