West Virginia licensed casinos are the only online casinos that may legally accept players inside the state. The licence comes from the West Virginia Lottery Commission, and it cannot be held by an online brand on its own: every operator must be tethered to one of the state’s five land-based casino properties.
That tethered model keeps the market small by design. Ten platforms operate here, against twenty-four in Pennsylvania, which makes verifying a site’s licence quick: if it is not attached to one of five named casinos, it is not licensed.
This page covers what the licence requires of an operator, how to check that a casino holds one, what protections come with it, and how the state used the Attorney General rather than the gaming regulator to clear out unlicensed competition. For the wider market picture, including revenue data and how the law developed, see our guide to online casinos in West Virginia.
West Virginia did not create a dedicated gaming board for internet gaming. It put the whole thing under the West Virginia Lottery Commission, which already regulated the state lottery and the land-based casinos.
The Lottery Commission handles licensing, game testing, compliance audits and responsible gambling requirements for online casinos alongside its existing duties. The Lottery Interactive Wagering Act of 2019 extended that authority rather than building something new.
An online brand cannot hold a West Virginia licence alone. It must be tethered to one of five land-based properties: Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, The Greenbrier, Mardi Gras Casino, Mountaineer Casino or Wheeling Island. Each property may partner with more than one online brand, which is how ten platforms fit into five licences.
Operators pay 15% on online casino revenue. That is the lowest rate among the regulated states, against Pennsylvania’s 54% on slots and Michigan’s graduated 20 to 28%. Revenue goes into the State Lottery Fund and from there to senior services, education, scholarships, tourism and state parks. A proposal to raise the rate to 25% has been floated without passing.
Because every brand is tethered to a named land-based property, the check is unusually simple here. Five casinos, ten online brands, and anything outside that list is unlicensed.
| Land-based casino | Licensed online brands |
|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races | DraftKings Casino, Hollywood Casino |
| The Greenbrier | BetMGM Casino, Golden Nugget Casino |
| Mardi Gras Casino & Resort | FanDuel Casino, Betly Casino |
| Mountaineer Casino, Resort & Races | BetRivers Casino, Caesars Palace Online Casino |
| Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack | Fanatics Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino |
The tether is not permanent. FanDuel shifted its licence from The Greenbrier to Mardi Gras in September 2025, which moved a large share of revenue with it. If a site’s stated partner looks out of date, check the regulator’s list rather than the operator’s own page.
The protections attached to a West Virginia Lottery licence are enforceable, and the state has shown it will act against operators outside the system.
Licensed operators keep player funds separate from operating capital, and games are tested for fairness before release. The Lottery Commission audits compliance rather than taking an operator’s word for it.
If a licensed casino treats you unfairly, the Lottery Commission investigates and can act against the licence. That process is the main thing an offshore site cannot offer, whatever its terms say.
The Lottery Commission runs a self-exclusion programme covering licensed operators, so enrolling blocks your accounts across participating sites rather than requiring you to contact each one. Licensed casinos also offer timeout tools and deposit limits directly in account settings.
West Virginia has been unusually willing to use legal pressure. The Attorney General issued close to 50 subpoenas to sweepstakes operators across 2024 and 2025, and offshore operator Bovada began blocking West Virginia players in July 2024 after a cease-and-desist letter.
Two kinds of site have accepted West Virginia players without a licence: offshore casinos, and sweepstakes platforms. The state has moved against both.
| West Virginia licensed | Offshore | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | WV Lottery Commission licence and oversight | None with jurisdiction over WV players |
| Game testing | Tested for fairness before release | Varies, often self-declared |
| Player funds | Held separately from operating capital | No state requirement |
| Dispute route | Lottery Commission investigates | Operator’s own process only |
| Self-exclusion | State programme covers licensed sites | Not covered |
| Age and location checks | 21+, geolocation enforced | Frequently minimal |
Sweepstakes platforms are a separate category, and West Virginia dealt with them differently from most states. Rather than passing a statute or relying on regulator letters, Attorney General John McCuskey issued close to 50 subpoenas across 2024 and 2025. More than 20 operators left, including McLuck, Pulsz, PlayFame and Funrize. Regulators followed up with guidance that unlicensed dual-currency platforms are prohibited from taking West Virginia players.
Check which land-based casino it is tethered to. Every licensed online brand in West Virginia operates under one of five properties: Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, The Greenbrier, Mardi Gras, Mountaineer or Wheeling Island. The West Virginia Lottery Commission publishes the current licensee list, which is more reliable than a badge on the operator’s own site.
The West Virginia Lottery Commission. Unlike states that set up a dedicated gaming board, West Virginia extended the authority of the body that already regulated the state lottery and land-based casinos when the Lottery Interactive Wagering Act passed in 2019.
No. Every online casino must be tethered to one of the state’s five land-based properties. Each casino may partner with more than one online brand, which is how ten platforms operate under five licences. The tether can move: FanDuel shifted from The Greenbrier to Mardi Gras in September 2025.
No, residency is not the requirement. What matters is where you are when you play. Licensed operators run geolocation checks and block access from outside state lines, so a visitor inside West Virginia can play while a resident travelling elsewhere cannot. You must also be 21 or over.
Operators pay 15% on online casino revenue, the lowest rate among the regulated states. The money goes into the State Lottery Fund and from there to senior services, education, scholarships, tourism and state parks. A proposal to raise the rate to 25% has been floated but has not passed.
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