West Virginia has had an uneven history with gambling since the first racinos opened in 1995. The state was among the first to legalize online casino gaming, but still won’t be ready to unveil it until next summer.
According to USAOnlineCasino.com, West Virginia saw revenue from gaming increase from $28 million in 1995 to $943 million in 2008 when table games were legalized. Revenues fell during the Great Recession but rebounded to $600 million in 2018, the same year the state legalized sports betting.
The drive toward sports betting has not been smooth. Two of the sportsbooks closed. The mobile sports betting app also closed. Some of the issues speak to corporate and legal disputes between two gambling companies: Delaware North, which operates the Mardi Gras Racino and the Wheeling Island Racino, and Mionmi Gaming, which provides a platform for online sportsbooks. West Virginia has approved William Hill, FanDuel, and DraftKings to operate sportsbooks.
Still, the state is moving forward. Lawmakers approved online casino games in March, joining a Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. West Virginia law will allow people to play casino games, such as blackjack, craps, poker, slots, and roulette. The West Virginia Lottery is responsible for managing the online casinos.
The state has estimated it will be able to launch online poker rooms by the end of the year. The lottery corporation said it will take longer to put policies and procedures in place for other casino games. The lottery will contract with other businesses to offer online gambling platforms. The state plans to charge $250,000 for the initial gaming license. Renewals for online gambling licenses will cost $100,000. Companies that want to manage online gambling platforms will also pay $100,000. Suppliers for online gamblers will have to pay $10,000. The state will tax all online revenue at 15 percent.
