The History of Gambling in West Virginia
From racetrack betting in the 1930s to regulated online casinos today, gambling in West Virginia grew through voter decisions and legislation, not guesswork. The timeline tells a clear story. Each expansion brought new rules, new revenue, and a bigger role in the state’s economy.
If you go back far enough, gambling in West Virginia started at the track. Pari-mutuel horse racing was legalized in 1933, giving the state its first structured betting system. For decades, that was the main legal outlet.
Then voters stepped in. In 1984, West Virginians approved a constitutional amendment creating the state lottery. The West Virginia Lottery officially launched in 1986 with a single scratch-off ticket. That first year brought in more than $53 million in sales.
What began as one game soon expanded into video lottery terminals, racetrack slots, and eventually full casino oversight under the Lottery’s control.
Racinos Become Resort Casinos
The big change came in 1994. Lawmakers allowed electronic gaming machines at racetracks. That decision turned racetracks into racinos almost overnight. Charles Town, Mountaineer, Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island grew from racing venues into full casino destinations.
Table games followed in 2007. A year later, voters approved casino gaming at The Greenbrier. By 2009, that private resort had its own regulated casino floor.
Today, the state has five licensed casino properties. Most sit near state borders, drawing players from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. West Virginia built its casino model around location and regulation rather than sheer population.
Digital Betting Enters the Picture
You probably remember the moment sports betting went legal across parts of the country. West Virginia moved quickly. The West Virginia Sports Lottery Act passed in March 2018. The first legal sports wager in the state was placed on August 30, 2018, at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
Sports betting operators pay a 10 percent tax on gross gaming revenue. Online casino gaming was authorized in 2019, with a 15 percent tax rate on internet gaming revenue.
By 2024, internet gaming revenue in West Virginia reached $246.5 million, up 57.3 percent from the previous year. Sports betting handle has surpassed $3.17 billion since launch, with lifetime gross revenue nearing $298.5 million.
Zoom out to the wider region and the context becomes clearer. North America’s online gambling market was valued at USD 16.56 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 32.95 billion by 2030. West Virginia is small in population, yet fully plugged into that broader digital expansion.
For a state with fewer than 2 million residents, the revenue numbers are significant. Combined lottery games, table games, racetrack betting, video lottery, and sports wagering result in more than $1.3 billion spent on gambling each year in West Virginia.
More than $500 million flows back into state programs annually. Around $700 million is paid out in prizes and retailer commissions. Those funds support education, senior services, veterans programs and the general fund.
Casino properties employ hundreds at individual locations, and thousands statewide when you include video lottery retailers and related operations.
When you look at the numbers, gambling is not a side story in West Virginia. It is built into the state budget and tied directly to public funding.
Online Casino Market Today
The structure today is tightly regulated. All gambling runs under the West Virginia Lottery Commission. Land-based casinos are allowed to partner with multiple online “skins,” which means several branded casino sites can operate under one physical license.
If you want to see how that plays out on the player side, independent reviewers have researched the top casino sites in West Virginia on Casino.org, weighing things like licensing, payout reliability, and game selection.
The point is not hype. It is comparison inside a regulated framework. You have options, but those options sit inside a system that has been built step by step since the 1980s.
Entertainment Culture Beyond the Casino Floor
Sit around a table with friends and the tension feels familiar. In a cooperative card game such as The Game, every move limits what can happen next. You’re watching the numbers, thinking ahead, hoping nobody misreads the board. One mistake can undo steady progress.
That same pull runs through modern tabletop gaming. The Top 40 Cooperative Board Games 2026 highlights titles built around shared pressure and group decisions. Different setting. Same instinct. People lean in when the outcome rests on a choice.
Where West Virginia Stands Now?
West Virginia did not leap into gambling overnight. Horse racing in 1933. Lottery approval in 1984. Electronic gaming in 1994. Table games in 2007. Sports betting in 2018. Online casinos in 2019. Each step added another layer.
Today, you are looking at a state that handles more than $1.3 billion in annual gambling activity, collects hundreds of millions in tax revenue, and participates in a North American online market valued in the tens of billions. The history is steady, deliberate, and tied to real numbers.
