West Virginia Sports Betting

West Virginia online sports betting includes seven sportsbooks available from anywhere in the state. All of the WV online sportsbooks offer expansive options for wagering as well as various bonuses and rewards.

Legal online sports betting has been part of life in West Virginia since 2018 — technically, anyway. However, it became a permanent fixture in the state in August 2019. On this page, you’ll find our list of the top online sportsbook sites in West Virginia, plus a comparison of the best bonuses available.

Newest online sportsbook in WV

BetRivers launched in West Virginia in June 2022, making it the seventh online sportsbook in the state. The launch came through a partnership between Rush Street Interactive, BetRivers’ parent company, and the Mountaineer Casino in New Cumberland.

One of the ways BetRivers stands out is with its live wagering options. Few apps are faster or have odds that update more quickly than BetRivers. You can also livestream the games that you’re betting on to give you a sense about your wagers. The display is a bit crowded with the live news feed, however.

More on WV online sports betting

WV sports betting at a glance

Sports betting has been available as a retail option in the state since 2018 and as a permanent online option since 2019. Here are some details about WV sports betting:

Are online sportsbooks legal in West Virginia?Yes. They have been legal since 2018 and continuously active since 2019.
Can anyone play?You must be 21 or older to legally bet on sports in WV.
Can I bet from outside the state lines of West Virginia?No. Both state and federal law prohibit sports betting at West Virginia sportsbooks from outside the state.
Do I have to be a West Virginia resident to bet?No. You only need to be within state lines and 21 or older.
Are there any sports or types of wagers that I cannot bet on in West Virginia?Aside from the typical high school prohibition, no. Betting on in-state college games and teams is legal.
Which online sportsbook apps are available in West Virginia?Betly, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics, and FanDuel.
What is the newest online sportsbook in West Virginia?Fanatics launched in December 2023.

Best West Virginia sportsbook bonuses

You have many choices available to you in West Virginia for receiving bonus dollars in your sports betting budget:

WV Online SportsbookBonusVisit Site
BetMGM WV SportsbookGet up to $1,500 in Bonus BetsPLAYWV
BetRivers WV Sportsbook2nd Chance Bet up to $100PLAYSB
FanDuel WV SportsbookBet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins + 3 Free Months of NBA League PassClick to claim promo
Caesars WV Sportsbook$1,000 First Bet on Caesars SEEKERDYW
Fanatics WV SportsbookBet and Get up to $1,000 in No Sweat BetsClick to claim promo

Types of online sportsbook bonuses

The terms may differ from deal to deal, but almost every online sportsbook bonus is one of the following types:

  • No deposit: This type of bonus puts site credits into your account without requiring you to deposit any money of your own. You may also see these appear as welcome bonuses, as they are typically available when you open a new account.
  • Deposit: Deposit bonuses match a portion of your deposit amount with bonus funds. A sportsbook may call this a reload bonus when it’s available to all players, regardless of how long they’ve maintained an account with the book.
  • Insurance: These bonuses compensate you for any losses during set time periods or on certain types of wagers.
  • Event repetition: Since sports often involve athletes repeating the same motion or action, sportsbooks may offer the option to bet on the number of times a particular event will occur. You pay a certain amount upfront, then receive smaller increments in return every time the event happens.
  • Odds boosts: Odds boosts enhance the payouts on certain wagers artificially in favor of the player. The amount of the boost will typically give you a shot to win 10% to 35% more on a bet than you normally would.

Sports betting loyalty programs in West Virginia

Sportsbook loyalty programs are generally free to join, no matter where you are. In most such programs, as you wager, you’ll accrue points for placement on the program’s tier system and to receive benefits like dining credits, hotel credits, shopping discounts and other perks. You may also find programs that provide bonus bets, site credits or branded merchandise through a store on the site. Here are the loyalty programs available to sports bettors in West Virginia:

  • Caesars Rewards — Caesars
  • Dynasty Rewards — DraftKings
  • FanDuel Players Club — FanDuel
  • iRush Rewards — BetRivers
  • Lucky North Club — Betly
  • MGM Rewards — BetMGM
  • PointsBet Rewards — PointsBet

If you are already a member of one of these programs through visits to affiliated land-based venues or via online betting in other states, your membership should transfer over to West Virginia, as well.

Best West Virginia online sportsbooks

Depending on your preferences, there is likely an online sportsbook in West Virginia that works best for you. Here are our picks for where to go for various attributes:

  • Best for types of wagers: DraftKings Sportsbook
  • Best for available sports: BetMGM Sportsbook
  • Best to navigate: FanDuel Sportsbook
  • Best for promotions: Caesars Sportsbook
  • Best for unique feature(s): PointsBet Sportsbook
  • Best for live betting: BetRivers Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook

  • App ratings: 4.8 (iOS)/4.6 (Android)
  • Strong points: User experience, app speed
  • Things DraftKings could improve: Promotions, especially for existing users
  • The bottom line: DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the most innovative and user-friendly apps in all of sports betting.

DraftKings was one of the sportsbooks that reintroduced online sports betting to West Virginia in August 2019. It went live in the state through a partnership with the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

The DraftKings betting carousel presents you with a custom wheel of personalized betting options based on your preferences and betting history. DraftKings is also a speedy app, which is important for all bettors but especially those who wish to conduct live betting.

The biggest complaint about DraftKings Sportsbook is its relatively low number of promotions. In particular, DraftKings could stand to improve its bonuses for existing players, as most of the promos are for new players.

If you want more information about DraftKings Sportsbook, check our review here. If you want to sign up, click this link.

Caesars Sportsbook

  • App ratings:4.6 (iOS)/4.5 (Android)
  • Strong points: Same-game parlays, promotions
  • Things Caesars could improve: Betting market diversity, live betting options
  • The bottom line: Caesars Sportsbook represents one of the top casino companies in the world and is a solid option for West Virginians.

Caesars Sportsbook is the product of one of the world’s largest casino companies. It appears in West Virginia via a deal with the Mountaineer Casino.

Caesars is notable for its promotional program, first and foremost. Its introductory offer has one of the largest maximums available, and there are a host of odds boosts and other perks.

There are plenty of sports and options for betting at Caesars. However, from a company with such an illustrious history and resources, we just expected … a little more. The listings seem a bit perfunctory for such a well-heeled brand, particularly with regard to the live betting options.

For more information about Caesars Sportsbook, read our review. If you’re ready to create an account, click here.

BetMGM Sportsbook

  • App ratings: 4.8 (iOS)/4.4 (Android)
  • Strong points: Diverse sports, user flexibility
  • Things BetMGM could improve: Promotions
  • The bottom line: BetMGM Sportsbook is one of the finest sportsbooks in all of the United States and offers some of the best flexibility that bettors will find.

BetMGM Sportsbook represents MGM Resorts, one of the world’s most prominent gambling companies. It is available in West Virginia via a partnership with The Greenbrier.

BetMGM has one of the finest selections of sports you’ll find at a US book. Along with all the typical options, you’ll also be able to bet on more esoteric sports like rugby union, snooker and lacrosse. BetMGM also offers flexibility, particularly with regard to open wagers. You can add to open bets, change the parties on the ticket or increase your bet.

What BetMGM needs to work on is its promotions. Though there are several promos active on the site, none of them are particularly enticing.

For more information about BetMGM Sportsbook, check our review here. If you are ready to give the app a look, click here.

BetRivers

  • App ratings: 3.6 (iOS)/3.5 (Android)
  • Strong points: Live betting
  • Things BetRivers Sportsbook could improve: Layout
  • The bottom line: BetRivers Sportsbook is reasonably solid for West Virginian sports bettors, especially for live betting. However, its layout is a bit busy, and the news feed starts to irritate after a time.

BetRivers Sportsbook is active in West Virginia in partnership with Mountaineer Casino. The book offers a plethora of live betting options, and you can keep track of the games you’re betting on with live streaming.

Unfortunately, it might be a bit of a struggle to arrive at this section — or other ones. BetRivers’ app is still a bit clunky, especially with its news feed, which you cannot minimize.

If you’d like to learn more about BetRivers, check out our review. Otherwise, you can sign up here.

FanDuel Sportsbook

  • App ratings:4.8 (iOS)/4.7 (Android)
  • Strong points: Navigation, same-game parlays
  • Things FanDuel could improve: Low stakes bias
  • The bottom line: FanDuel Sportsbook may offer the smoothest app experience of them all. It is easy to find the bets that you want.

FanDuel was likely already a familiar name to many in West Virginia, thanks to its DFS site. It has a longstanding partnership with The Greenbrier, and, in addition to online betting, it runs the sportsbook at the resort.

FanDuel Sportsbook stands out as one of the easiest apps to use in sports betting. Its layout is user-friendly and works well for sports bettors of all skill levels. FanDuel bettors can also make use of a large contingent of same-game parlay options.

Where FanDuel stumbles a bit is with its somewhat conservative approach to booking wagers. At times, the app may limit those who wish to make larger bets, those who seem to be winning, or promotions that it deems to be too favorable for bettors to use.

For more information, you can check out our FanDuel review page. Alternatively, click this link to sign up.

PointsBet

  • App ratings: 4.8 (iOS)/4.7 (Android)
  • Strong points: Unique wager type, Karma Kommittee
  • Things PointsBet could improve: Odds, chance for big losses
  • The bottom line: PointsBet offers a type of betting you won’t find anywhere else, and its Karma Kommittee is a bettor-friendly move.

PointsBet Sportsbook is an Australian betting provider that crossed the Pacific almost simultaneously with the 2018 decision overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. It is available in West Virginia through a partnership with Hollywood Casino.

The most notable feature about PointsBet is its signature product, PointsBetting. This can allow you to multiply certain wins dramatically, depending on how much you are correct by. However, it also carries the potential for incredibly large losses. PointsBet also maintains the Karma Kommittee, a group of top employees who can choose to refund wagers or honor certain bets if a game ends unexpectedly.

PointsBet also is not the place to go for terrific odds — the numbers for the game you want to bet on may be better elsewhere.

If you want to find out more about how PointsBet works, click here. Otherwise, you can sign up here.

Other online sportsbooks in WV

West Virginia law permits up to 15 online sportsbooks. Each of the five casinos in the state can host up to three online skins. However, none has done so yet, and it’s unclear if the action in WV can even support that many books. Regardless, here are the other app(s) in the state:

  • Betly (via Mardi Gras Casino/Wheeling Island)

Types of online sportsbook wagers in WV

Here are the most common wagers you’ll find in West Virginia:

  • Point spreads: The sportsbook estimates the margin of victory, and bettors decide if the estimate is too high or too low.
  • Moneylines: Bet on which side will win the game.
  • Totals: The sportsbook sets a line for the total combined score of the game, and you wager whether the actual total will be over or under that line. Also called over/under bets.
  • Futures: Wager on the outcome of discrete events, like which team will win a league championship or tournament or which player will win a season-long award.
  • Proposition bets: Wager on smaller aspects within a game.
  • Live: Bet on a game as it’s taking place.

Parlays

Parlays deserve their own section because they are more complex than the common wagers we listed above. A parlay is a combination wager consisting of several smaller wagers.

Usually, the constituent wagers in a parlay are some of the above bets. There is also one type of parlay that folds together other parlays. Regardless, each bet in a parlay is known as a leg.

Parlays are high-risk, high-reward wagers because of one single rule: you must be perfect in your predictions to win anything. You could pick nine winners but lose the bet because of a missed extra point or layup on leg No. 10. The odds escalate rapidly with each individual leg you add, and big wins are rare enough to warrant news coverage most of the time.

There are also some parlay variants you might encounter at West Virginia sportsbooks. The teaser allows you to move the line for each leg in your favor, making it easier to win but paying less if you do. The pleaser allows an adjustment in the sportsbook’s favor, upping the difficulty factor but also the potential payout.

The other main variant is the round robin. Round robins are parlays that consist of multiple smaller parlays. This means it is possible to lose one of your legs and still win some money.

Advantages of online sports betting in WV

The general notion of sports betting is the same in West Virginia, regardless of whether you do it on your mobile device or in person. You wager on an outcome in an eligible sporting event, and either win or lose based upon whether your prediction comes to pass. However, online sports betting bears several notable advantages over the live version of the activity:

  1. Live wagering: Betting on a game as it is taking place is almost entirely the province of online sportsbook apps. The speed at which these wagers appear and disappear means that it is largely untenable for retail sportsbooks to offer them. If you want the option to bet after a game is underway, you are likely going to have to bet online.
  2. No teller lines: When you bet online, you can place your wagers in seconds and not have to wait for any sort of manual process, making it less likely you’ll miss out on a chance to wager.
  3. Convenience: Live sportsbooks are dynamic environments with plenty of sensory stimuli and social interactivity. However, there’s no denying how much faster and more convenient it is to place a wager through your phone or laptop. Even if we concede the intrinsic aesthetic values at an in-person sportsbook, it’s still going to take longer to drive to such a venue than it is to reach into your pocket for your phone.
  4. Bonuses: Because you have access to all of West Virginia’s sportsbook apps at all times, you can claim their bonus offers. The books know that they must compete for your business every time you are looking to bet, so they are willing to offer perks to try to secure your loyalty. Live sportsbooks have less of a need to do so, since going to the competition would likely mean having to drive elsewhere.
  5. Responsible gambling: Gambling problems are incredibly difficult to spot because they rarely leave any physical symptoms and they are easy to hide, due to the use of cash in most live sportsbook situations. Online sportsbooks, by contrast, maintain a suite of control options to limit the amount you bet, the amount you deposit and the amount of time you play. Setting up these restrictions can go a long way toward keeping you from going overboard.

WV responsible gambling resources

The unfortunate reality of gambling is that some people will take things too far. Sports betting is often a fun activity, but it becomes less so when you use rent money, grocery money or funds that you need for other necessities.

Legal sportsbook apps will offer control features that you can enact on your account. You can instruct the book to limit your deposit amounts, the amount that you can wager and how much time you spend on the app.

If those controls aren’t enough, there are also several resources available to problem gamblers or their families in West Virginia:

  • 1-800-GAMBLER — The Problem Gambling Help Network of West Virginia.
  • Gamblers Anonymous — A peer support group for problem gamblers.
  • Gam-Anon — A peer support group for families and friends of problem gamblers.
  • Gamtalk — An online discussion forum for problem gamblers.

WV sports betting history

Even though sports betting remained illegal in most of the US until mid-2018, West Virginia legislators were already submitting bills to legalize it in the years prior to the US Supreme Court’s dismissal of PASPA. In fact, the measure that eventually became the governing instrument for West Virginia sports betting became law in March 2018, two months before the court issued its final ruling.

West Virginia is technically the third state (behind New Jersey and Nevada) to allow online sports betting, with the first legal app, BetLucky, appearing in December 2018. However, a disagreement between BetLucky’s parent company, Delaware North, and its technology provider caused wagering to come to an abrupt halt in March 2019.

Online sports betting remained unavailable in West Virginia for several months, as state regulators worked to ensure that any new launches would remain permanent fixtures. Retail sports betting remained available, but no new apps appeared on the scene until DraftKings and FanDuel launched in August 2019.

Since then, sports betting has continued to expand steadily in the Mountain State. There are now more than a half-dozen sportsbook apps available in West Virginia, and all five of the state’s casino locations offer retail books.

West Virginia online sports betting FAQ

Yes. DraftKings is available as one of several legal sportsbook apps in West Virginia.

Yes. All of the sportsbooks that we mention on this page are legal and regulated entities in West Virginia. Each one is accountable to both state and federal law. If you have any disputes with a West Virginia sportsbook that you cannot resolve, contact the West Virginia Lottery Commission, as it acts as the regulator for sports betting in the state.

To start, you can follow one of our links above. The link will ask you to select your device’s format, then whisk you to the download page for your chosen app.

From there, the process is largely the same as it is for any other type of app. Note any bonus codes that you may need, and if you’ve made an account elsewhere, you should have no problems doing so on a sportsbook app in West Virginia.

No. You do not have to be a resident of West Virginia in order to bet on West Virginia sportsbooks. You just need to be inside state lines and above the minimum gambling age.

Be prepared to allow geolocation verification when you log into your account. Apps face heavy fines and sanctions if they allow players from outside the state to play, so don’t expect to receive any kind of leeway. The software they use is quite effective, and it is more likely that you’d be falsely denied service than it is for you to be able to bet from out of state.

You must be 21 or older to legally bet on sports in West Virginia, whether in person or online.

It’s difficult to tell. Each casino can partner with as many as three sportsbook apps apiece, so there could be as many as 15 apps operating at one time. However, West Virginia’s small population and modest revenues may not be enough to support that many books. We’ll report any new options, but nothing prominent is happening right now.

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