Is Poker legal in West Virginia? Online & Live Poker Laws in WV

Both online and live poker are legal and regulated in West Virginia.

It joins five other US states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada, in offering legal online poker.

Live poker is also flourishing in the Mountain State, with several options for WV players to pick from. In this guide, we'll run you through all your options for playing poker in West Virginia, let you know the history and also what is legal.

Is Poker Legal in West Virginia?

Yes, as mentioned you can legally play both online and live poker in West Virginia. The battle to legalization, much was the case with other states, was a long and tumultuous process. However, WV residents have several options for live poker rooms. The online landscape is more scarce, with progress on operators launching in the state being slow. But as of June 2025, BetRivers Poker is the option for Mountain State players.

Can I Play Online Poker in West Virginia?

Yes, you can play online poker in West Virginia.

It became legal in February 2019, becoming the fifth US state to allow online poker since the infamous poker blackout. As mentioned, operators didn't exactly flock to enter and launch in WV - perhaps down to the state's modest population, particularly compared to other states where online poker is legal. Operators would also have to partner with a live casino in the region to be licensed, causing another potential barrier to overcome.

BetRivers, however, came in to save the day. Launching in PA first and later DE, MI and most significantly WV, becoming the first and presently only operator in West Virginia. It's also part of the MSIGA, meaning it shares a player liquidity pool between PA, DE, MI and WV. So, while the player pool in WV alone is modest, combining it with the other three means WV players can compete against players in other states in a wider, larger player pool!

Can I Play Live Poker in West Virginia?

Yes, you can play live poker in West Virginia.

There are more options for live poker than online in WV. Three main casinos provide a vast poker offering; Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Mardi Gras Casino & Resort and Wheeling Island Hotel‑Casino‑Racetrack. All offer a range of poker games and exceptional hospitality. We will go more in depth on these a little later on.

West Virginia Gambling Laws - Current Situation

State Delegate Shawn Fluharty began the push to legalize online gambling in WV as far back as 2017. He was unsuccessful in doing so at first, but continued working to make it happen.

Fluharty realized the economic potential online gambling could have on the state he lives in and represents upon viewing tax revenue generated from nearby states New Jersey and Pennsylvania, two of the five states in the U.S. with legal poker sites in existence as of 2022 (Delaware, Michigan, and Nevada also have legal online poker sites).

The following year, in March, he gave it another shot. This time around, he teamed up with a fellow Delegate, Jason Barrett, who introduced House Bill 2934 in February 2019. Nine other members of the West Virginia House of Representatives co-sponsored the bill, including Fluharty.

In that piece of legislation, referred to as the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, the law allows interactive wagering licensees to contract with an entity to conduct interactive wagering. So, in theory, poker in West Virginia could legally take place online, but prospective operators had to go through the licensing process and seek approval from the Gaming Commission.

It wasn't until BetRivers Poker launched six years later, where we got the first real-money, legal operator launching in WV. What took so long? Unfortunately, West Virginia isn't a large state in terms of population. With under 2 million residents, the profitability of the poker sites likely won't be high, and the state doesn't stand to gain much in revenue just from online poker. In New Jersey, for example, the population is nearly five times higher, and that doesn't include all the New Yorkers who cross state lines to play online.

That being said, now BetRivers has taken the plunge, more operators are expected to follow in the longer-term. This will, however, largely depend on the success and popularity of BetRivers in West Virginia.

Tax on Poker in West Virginia

Poker winnings, both live and online, are taxable in West Virginia. Residents must report all gambling income on both federal and state tax returns. Casinos and operators typically issue W-2G forms for qualifying wins, but all winnings are reportable regardless of amount. Players are encouraged to keep accurate records of wins, losses, and related expenses for tax reporting purposes.

Safe & Responsible Gambling in West Virginia

Poker is meant to be enjoyable, so it’s important to play responsibly. All licensed poker sites in West Virginia offer responsible gaming tools such as deposit limits, cooling-off periods, and self-exclusion options to help players stay in control.

The West Virginia Lottery supports statewide responsible gambling initiatives, including self-exclusion programs and educational resources. Players seeking help can contact 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) for 24/7 confidential support.

Find out more with the PokerNews guide to Responsible Gambling.

West Virginia Poker History (Timeline)

• 'Racinos' Launched (1994)
  Racetrack Video Lottery Act is passed, allowing for 'gaming' lottery machines to be located at racetracks, unofficially launching the concept of 'racinos.'
• Video Poker Legalized (2001)
  The Limited Video Lottery Act formally legalized video poker machines. Up until this point, the machines had existed but had been unregulated.
• New Casino Legislation (2007)
  Legislation passes to allow for brick-and-mortar casinos to add various tables games to their offering.
• Casinos Expansion (2008-10)
  Existing casinos add a range of different games to their offerings and new casinos also open.
• Black Friday Shutout (April 2011)
  Dubbed 'Black Friday,' online poker is banned country-wide in the US as wider gambling restrictions are applied.
• Sports Wagering Legalized (March 2018)
  US Supreme Court overturn previous rulings and WV legalizes sports wagering by passing the Sports Lottery Wagering Act.
• Online Casino Gaming Legalized (March 2019)
  WV passes the Lottery Interactive Wagering Act (HB 2934), fully legalizing online casino gaming. This included sports wagering, but more specifically, poker as well. A little over a year later, the first online casinos launched in the state.
• West Virginia Joins MSIGA (2023)
  Despite still not having any online poker operators live, West Virginia joins the MSIGA (Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement), joining a shared player pool that spanned (at the time) across four other states.
• Online Poker (Finally) Arrives in West Virginia (June 2025)
  BetRivers launches the first regulated online poker in the state via multi‑state shared liquidity across MI, PA, DE, and WV.

Play Legal Real Money Poker in West Virginia

Playing legal poker online or at licensed venues safe and super easy to do in West Virginia. In the following sections, we’ll walk you through exactly how and where you can get started.

First, we’ll explore your options for legal online poker, explaining more about BetRivers' poker offering. Then, we’ll highlight the best places to enjoy live poker in person at trusted, state-regulated West Virginia casinos.

How to Play Legal Online Poker in West Virginia

We'd love to eloquently talk you through an array of different online poker options in WV, carefully analyzing each and finally declaring which one is best for each aspect of poker. However, given that there's only one option - BetRivers Poker- that's something we cannot do.

What we can do, though, is give an overview of what BetRivers Poker offers in WV and explain why just because it's the only option in the state, it's still actually an exceptional platform to play on.

What we love most about BetRivers is its clear dedication to serving players. Thanks to its Sports and Casino offering, BetRivers has made clear that it doesn't aim to make money through its poker vertical. Yes, it sounds crazy but it's true! They're relying on it's other platforms to generate the revenue, with a goal for poker to give back rake to its players. It's an incredible gesture, but something they are actively backing up, giving players great rakeback incentives, bonuses and promos.

The software, legacy software from Run It Once, is also very good. It's simple to navigate, making finding the right table an easy task. With a built-in HUD (HeroIQ), dynamic avatars and responsive support, BetRivers Poker will challenge any other operator that comes to WV as the best in the state.

The downside? Despite being a relaunch of Run It Once, it's effectively a new site. Given its infancy, there aren't a huge selection of poker variants to play.

However, BetRivers is great at actively working on feedback from its players, so we can expect far more additions to its poker offerings in the near future. What's more, BetRivers has shared liquidity in WV with DE, PA and MI, meaning bigger player pools!

How to Play Legal Live Poker in West Virginia

West Virginia has several poker rooms and casinos offering poker. In this section, we'll highlight the best ones and outline what poker games you can play.

• Hollywood Casino in Charles Town (12 tables)
• The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs (6 tables prior to closure)
• Mardi Gras Casino in Nitro (6 tables)
• Wheeling Island Casino in Wheeling (9 tables)

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

The Charles Town Race Track was inaugurated in 1933. In 1997, it was acquired by Penn National Gaming, a majority owner in Barstool Sports. The facility has offered casino games since 2009. In 2010, it was rebranded as Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. Hollywood Casino was the first operator to offer sports betting in West Virginia. On August 30, 2018, it officially opened the land-based William Hill sportsbook.

On August 28, 2019, Hollywood Casino became the second operator to offer online sports betting in the state after launching the DraftKings online sportsbook. It then ended the partnership with William Hill. Hollywood Casino has not announced any online poker partners yet. That said, the casino has a dedicated poker room which has 17 tables and offers a range of games.

The Casino Club at Greenbrier

The Greenbrier has been around since 1913. In November 2008, a referendum allowed the hotel to operate a casino. It officially opened to business in July 2010. According to state gambling legislation, the hotel is only allowed to offer its casino games to guests.

The Greenbrier was the first casino in WV to offer online gambling, in the form of online sports betting. It launched the FanDuel online sportsbook on August 26, 2019. In January 2020, BetMGM also went live under its partnership with The Greenbrier to become the third online sportsbook in the state.

Considering that BetMGM also offers online poker in New Jersey, it could be a potential candidate to launch an online poker site in West Virginia. However, there are no plans for it as of now. As of 2022, Greenbrier's poker room hadn't reopened since COVID-19, and it's unclear when or if the room will return.

Mardi Gras Casino and Resort

Mardi Gras Casino and Resort opened in 1985 as Tri-State Greyhound Park. In 2008, it launched a land-based casino and was renamed as Mardi Gras. In 2018, the property was acquired by Delaware North from Hartman & Tyner, which had owned Mardi Gras since 1990. It currently offers land-based sports betting as well, under a partnership with International Game Technology (IGT). Mardi Gras Casino and Resort does not have any online poker partners yet.

It does offer live poker though, with Texas Hold'em and 7-Card Stud among its formats. While the casino is open 24/7, if you want to take to the poker tables you'll have to go between Wednesday and Sunday.

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino Racetrack

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino Racetrack was one of the first operators in the state to offer poker games, in October 2007. The property, then known as Wheeling Downs, was acquired by Delaware North in 1988. It currently offers land-based sports betting under a partnership with IGT, just like its sister property Mardi Gras. Likewise, Wheeling Island has not announced any partners to provide online poker in West Virginia.

You can play a variety of poker games and tournaments at its dedicated poker room. With a bespoke tournament schedule and various on-going promotions, there's lots to enjoy while at the tables.

West Virginia online poker FAQ