After New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, West Virginia has become the fourth state in the USA to legalize online casinos.
Bill HB2934 was passed by Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia after extensive negotiations. Despite not signing or vetoing the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act bill within a two-week period, it automatically transformed into a new law.
Since 2017, State Delegate Shawn Fluharty has been tirelessly advocating for the legalization of online gambling in West Virginia. Despite facing little to no support for the first two years, residents in the state now have Fluharty to thank for his unwavering efforts.
It took more than a year for operators to transition into the Mountain State after the law was revised to permit online casinos.
After launching under the license of Hollywood Casino, DraftKings made history as the inaugural legal online casino to operate in West Virginia.
iGaming in West Virginia is introduced by DraftKings.
In July 2020, DraftKings became the inaugural online casino in WV, introducing both mobile and desktop platforms. This casino offers a wide array of popular games such as slots, blackjack, roulette, and other exciting titles. Existing members of DraftKings can conveniently log into the online casino using their current credentials.
Residents of the Mountain State eagerly anticipated playing the state lottery before DraftKings made its entry. Upon its arrival, John Meyers, the Director of West Virginia Lottery, expressed his thoughts.
We have put in extensive effort and planning throughout the past year, and we are excited for the licensing and approval of our other casinos and their associated providers once they are prepared to proceed.
At present, DraftKings runs an online casino and sportsbook in three states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and recently, West Virginia. The sportsbook, on the other hand, can be accessed from additional states like Oregon and Arkansas.
The casino and sports betting platform of the company are integrated on a single platform, with the sports betting feature being the most renowned.
The future of online casinos in West Virginia is promising.
After the introduction of DraftKings in West Virginia, which marked the beginning of iGaming in the state, BetMGM swiftly followed suit and became the second online casino to enter the market. Subsequently, a wider variety of games, including exclusive jackpot titles, were introduced to cater to the growing demand.
In addition to being available in other states, such as New Jersey, BetMGM also provides a sportsbook option in WV.
Adam Greenblatt, the CEO of BetMGM, provided his thoughts on the launch.
BetMGM’s acquisition of the top iGaming offering in West Virginia sets us apart from the competition. With an extensive collection of casino games, we are certain that our exceptional platform will swiftly become the preferred online gaming destination for players in the state.
Other operators are anticipated to quickly follow in the footsteps of DraftKings and BetMGM by offering an online casino in WV. It is rumored that FanDuel will be the third operator to launch in WV before the year 2020 concludes.
