West Virginia Bill Legalizing Online Casino Games and Poker Introduced

On the first day of the legislative session in West Virginia, over 300 bills were presented by legislators. Among them is a bill that reintroduces online gaming for deliberation.

House Bill 2178, brought forth by Rep. Shawn Fluharty, is aimed at legalizing interactive gaming in West Virginia. This bill encompasses various activities such as casino games and online poker.

Should the bill be approved, all five West Virginia casinos could potentially offer online gaming.

• The Charles Town Races Hollywood Casino.
• The establishment is known as Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack, and Resort.
• The Greenbrier’s Casino Club
• The Casino and Resort of Mardi Gras
• Wheeling Island Hotel

West Virginia interactive gaming bill details

Online gaming regulations in West Virginia, like sports betting, will be supervised by the West Virginia Lottery Commission. Only West Virginia casinos will be eligible for licenses, which carry a price tag of $50,000. Operators will also be liable for a 14 percent tax on their entire online gaming revenue.

The bill incorporates provisions to oversee table games, specifically poker. In a time when sports betting dominates the conversation, online poker may be overshadowed, but poker enthusiasts are likely pleased to observe this renewed interest.

Furthermore, the bill explicitly acknowledges the possibility of shared liquidity once the interactive gaming market has reached its full development.

The growth of online poker has been affected by the presence of smaller player pools, leading to the formation of location-specific player pools. To ignite the poker industry, bills incorporating shared liquidity and including more language on this matter could be the catalyst it requires.

West Virginia sports betting may help the cause

Due to the previous accomplishments of video lottery and legalized sports betting, the likelihood of West Virginia online gambling being approved has significantly improved compared to previous years.

From the bill:

The legalization of video lottery and table games in West Virginia has brought about significant benefits to the state, such as the creation of numerous jobs and substantial contributions to the racing and agricultural industries.

Once online gaming is launched, it becomes difficult to ignore the revenue potential for the state. The interest and appeal can be easily understood by observing the example of WV sports betting.

In November, West Virginia’s sports betting industry recorded a staggering $13.3 million in wagers. This resulted in a tax collection of $133,351 for the state, which is an impressive increase compared to the $63,020 generated in October.

In addition, the Mountain State has only recently begun its journey into sports betting. The launch of online sports betting took place in December with the introduction of BetLucky.com. Additionally, it is anticipated that DraftKings WV Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook will soon release their mobile sports betting applications.

Keep in mind that the industry is only five months old. The inclusion of monetary incentives will undoubtedly bolster the efforts to legalize online gaming.

At present, legal online casino gambling is limited to just three additional states.

• New Jersey
• Nevada
• Delaware

In early 2019, Pennsylvania is set to launch its online casino gaming platform. If the bill is successfully passed, West Virginia can potentially emerge as a frontrunner in this field, being among the pioneering states to legalize online casino gaming.

By spring, we can expect to have a better understanding of the prospects for the West Virginia online gaming bill. The ongoing legislative session in West Virginia will conclude on March 9.