West Virginia Online Casinos – An Inside Look At The Mountain State’s Casino Gambling Industry
West Virginia is among the friendliest of all gambling states in America. And despite just five brick-and-mortar WV casinos to choose from, real-money gambling nevertheless remains extremely accessible because of the domestic West Virginia online casino options available. WV is one of the only US states with legal online iGaming, sports betting, poker, and horse betting options at the local level.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should ignore legit online casinos that serve WV residents from outside WV and US borders. These offshore casinos have been providing real-money online casino games to WV gamblers for years, and the new online West Virginia gambling expansion doesn’t impact your ability to access these top sites. To learn why offshore casino gambling in WV is often better than in-state options, read on!
★ Top Rated Online Casino For West Virginia Players In 2024
Bovada Casino – The King Of The Hill In The Mountain State
While there are several online casinos in West Virginia at the state level, there aren’t any online casinos like Bovada LV. Bovada has been serving WV casino gamblers since 2011, and the site boasts a much larger gaming menu than any you’ll find in retail brick-and-mortar venues.
With over 250 of the best electronic online slot machines in West Virginia – along with countless options for West Virginia blackjack, roulette, and even live-dealer casino games – Bovada is a true casino lover’s online casino.
But Bovada isn’t just an online casino. With a single Bovada account, you can access the site’s real West Virginia sports betting app, a full WV online poker room, and even an international racebook for fans of the ponies.
New members who join Bovada today can take advantage of the site’s $3000 online casino welcome bonus, which is boosted to $3750 for Bitcoin/crypto deposits!
- Established in 2011 + Based in Costa Rica
- 250+ electronic online casino games
- 30+ live-dealer casino games
- Bovada Bitcoin + altcoin support
- Bovada MatchPay + Bovada vouchers
- 1 account for Casino, Sports, Poker, Horses
- All WV residents welcome at 18+
Best West Virginia Online Casinos For 2024
Site | Bonus | Rating | Visit |
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100% Up To $3,000 | 4.9 | Visit Site | |
350% Up To $2,500 | 4.7 | Visit Site | |
200% Up To $5,000 | 4.6 | Visit Site | |
325% Up To $9,750 | 4.5 | Visit Site |
Is Online Gambling Legal In West Virginia?
Yes! The state actually legalized online sports gambling in March 2018 before the PASPA law was even overturned, and just a year later – in March 2019 – the state followed that up by legalizing online casino games and online poker gambling. WV is one of just a handful of states to offer legal in-person and online gambling options for all popular betting markets.
However, despite this access, there are actually no West Virginia gambling laws generally (or West Virginia casino laws specifically) that bar offshore online casinos like those we recommend here. While these international options do constitute significant competition for the state’s commercial gaming interests, they remain completely legal to use for all WV residents.
West Virginia Legal Gambling Age As Of 2024
The legal gambling age in West Virginia depends on the gaming market you’re interested in. To play the West Virginia Lottery, bet on horses, or play in bingo halls, you only have to be 18 years old or older.
To play in West Virginia casinos, gamble in WV poker rooms (online or off), and bet in-person or place wagers with online sports betting services, the minimum age is 21-plus.
That said, at most of the offshore sites we recommend here, the West Virginia casino age is 18 and up, as it is for WV sports betting, WV poker, and all other online gaming amusements.
Are There Legal WV Online Casinos That Are Safe To Play At?
Yes! WV is one of the few states that has legal online casinos both at the domestic and international levels. Obviously, if you gamble at a state-licensed commercial West Virginia casino, you’ll likely take it for granted that the experience will be a safe one.
However, you might not realize that reputable online casinos – despite not being “state-licensed” in WV itself – are just as safe and secure to use. And, in many cases, they’re even safer, as you can deposit and withdraw using quantum-hacking-resistant cryptocurrencies at international sites (which is something not yet available at domestic WV online casino venues).
Now, this isn’t to say that all WV casinos operating offshore are safe. This is the Internet, after all. So it’s important not to confuse legal online WV casinos with safe online WV casinos. That said, as long as you sign up and play with the sites we recommend, you can be assured of a legitimate, entertaining, and fair online casino experience offering all the following:
West Virginia Mobile Casinos
Mobile gambling is the main way people bet online, and that’s true whether they use in-state or offshore WV casinos. If you’re gambling with a local venue, of course, you have to download the brand’s specific West Virginia iPhone casino app or Android casino app. These apps work well, but they have to be custom designed for your particular device, and older devices may not run the games as fluidly as you’d like.
However, because offshore WV casino sites don’t use downloadable apps, there’s nothing to install or update, and the gaming experiences are smooth and snappy regardless of the make, model, or screen size of your smartphone or tablet.
Another major benefit of using offshore West Virgnia gambling sites rather than local domestic services is that local gaming apps are “geo-fenced.” If you travel outside of WV, you can’t actually gamble with domestic WV casinos, sportsbooks, or poker rooms! But offshore casinos have no GPS restrictions, so you can gamble from anywhere inside and outside the state.
Online Casino Games In West Virginia
If you’ve ever played in a real WV retail casino, you already know how engaging slot machines and other electronic table games are. You’ve probably even had to wait in line at the kiosks to play a few of the most popular titles. Well, when you play RNG electronic casino games online, you don’t have to wait at all! And that’s true for both local and offshore options.
However, the offshore games are generally much more varied. So even through there’s no waiting no matter where you play, you’ll actually get a bigger selection of games with international casino sites than you will with domestic online casinos in West Virginia.
But what about payouts? Surely, the local regulated online casino games pay out better, right? Well, no! While different games payout at different rates, dollar-for-dollar, you aren’t going to get a lesser experience in terms of profit potential. Online West Virginia slot machine payouts are just as good offshore as they are at domestic sites, and the same goes for all other casino game payouts across these categories:
- Online Slots Games (3-Reel, 5-Reel, 3D, Progressive Jackpot)
- Online Blackjack Games (Single-Deck, Double-Deck, 6-Deck, 8-Deck)
- Online Roulette Games (American and European)
- Online Baccarat + Super 6 (Mini-Bac)
- Online Video Poker Games
- Online Keno + Online Craps
- Online Bingo (30-Ball, 50-Ball, 70-Ball, etc.)
- Online Lotteries + Raffles + Scratchers
- Online Live Casino Games
Pro-Tip: Most of the legit online casinos we recommend for WV gamblers offer free online casino games via “demo” or “practice” modes. If it’s your first time playing a particular game, we recommend taking advantage of these free games before risking actual cash.
West Virginia Online Live-Dealer Casino Games
For years, if gamblers wanted to experience real “Vegas-style” action, live-dealer tables were the natural go-to. Which, of course, meant that brick-and-mortar casinos were the natural go-to.
But these days – with rapid technological advancements in network communications – live-dealer casino games are also available online just like the typical West Virginia slots and electronic table games you’ll find in your site’s RNG casino section.
Through the use of live-streaming video and audio, live-dealer games let you take a virtual seat at the real felts, where you can watch your dealer’s every move and croupier’s every spin in real time. The best sites also offer live chat plugins so you can talk with the house and fellow players at your table. And if the tables are full, you can spectate the games to pass the time until a seat opens up, or you can jump right in with unlimited bet-behinds!
- Live Dealer Blackjack
- Live Dealer Roulette
- Live Dealer Baccarat
- Live Dealer Super 6
Note: Live-dealer casino games are paid amusements only, so you can’t play live online casino games for free at the sites we recommend. Additionally, most WV live-dealer casinos don’t allow their live table games to contribute to active online casino bonus rollover requirements.
Brick-And-Mortar Casinos In West Virginia
As fun as online casino gambling is in WV, sometimes we want to get up, stretch our legs, and take the country roads home to the gambling places we belong. In those cases, a quick search should bring up a map of casinos in West Virginia with venues close by.
Now, depending on what kind of gaming you’re after, you may want to choose a West Virginia casino resort or a West Virginia racino. It’s also worth pointing out that WV is one of just a few US states that still has greyhound racing, if that’s your thing.
Of course, if you want only the best experience, the best casino in West Virginia is a no-brainer: The Greenbrier. The Greenbrier isn’t just the best WV casino, either. By many metrics, this unique destination in White Sulphur Springs is the best casino in the world.
But The Greenbrier isn’t a casual, inexpensive venue, and you can only gain access to the Casino Club at The Greenbrier if you’re a club member or a visitor with a booked suite. Since Greenbrier rooms start at around $500 per night, the venue isn’t going to be your regular gaming hotspot, but it’s definitely worth experiencing once in a while if you can.
There are no West Virginia Indian casinos, as there are no federally recognized or state-recognized Indian tribes in WV. While this could change in the future, it seems unlikely that there will ever be Indian casinos in West Virginia going forward.
Plus, with the domestic brick-and-mortar and online WV gambling markets being what they are, the addition of such tribal casinos likely wouldn’t expand betting options in the state in any meaningful capacity.
Gambling Resources For West Virginia Residents
If you’d like more information about WV in-person and online gambling laws, you can check out the following resources. We recommend starting your search by consulting the current West Virginia Code (WVC).
- WVC Ch. 29 Article 22-22E – Laws covering casino gambling, West Virginia Lottery, West Virginia sports betting, horse racing betting, etc.
- Article 22 – “State Lottery Act”
- Article 22A – “Race Track Video Lottery”
- Article 22B – “Limited Video Lottery”
- Article 22C – “West Virginia Lottery Racetrack Table Games Act”
- Article 22D – “West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act”
- Article 22E – “West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act”
- WVC Ch. 19 Article 23 – “Horse and Dog Racing”
- WVC Ch. 61 Article 10 – “Crimes Against Public Policy”
Gambling is a fun and entertaining pastime, but if it’s become overwhelming, you could be struggling with compulsive gambling. If you need help addressing potential gambling addiction, WV residents can contact the West Virginia chapter of the National Council on Problem Gambling. Assistance is available at no cost. Please play responsibly.