Online sports betting in West Virginia first arrived in late 2018 and enjoyed a short stay through March before being put on hold for several months. Mobile gambling on sports was then relaunched in West Virginia as of late August and its timing was impeccable. Now that a season is coming to end betting on Super Bowl via either football squares or prop bets is your last chance.
The West Virginia State Lottery had been looking for a way to make sports betting work following a pricing dispute between vendors, and big names like BetMGM and DraftKings to get the action back up-and-running in The Mountain State and right the ship before the National Football League year begins. Currently, betting on the NFL in West Virginia has never been easier as major brands enter the fold to offer some of the best sports gambling experiences in the market.
Football is the most popular game in the country and the NFL is the favorite sport of gamblers in the United States. West Virginia has a very loyal college football fanbase as well, but the professional game is still king of the sports betting mountain. The last stint for online sports betting in WV started late in the season and ran through the month of the playoffs.
For the very first time, residents of West Virginia will be able to gamble on football from the start of the season as the state re-introduces sports betting while the NFL Week 1 schedule approaches.
If you’d like to start betting online on NFL in The Mountaineer State, you need to know which sports betting sites in WV to visit. Unlike in some other states, there aren’t too many options to make things confusing as West Virginia currently only has two sportsbooks available.
The original brand was BetLucky, which launched in December 2018 and only last for a few months when the aforementioned pricing dispute caused a huge mess that led the market to shut down. Multiple companies involved have been fighting ensuing legal battles for months while BetLucky remains offline and is not accepting new players, leaving sites like DraftKings and BetMGM all alone to battle it out amongst themselves in West Virginia.
Below we detail the best characteristics of each to help your decision-making process.
BetMGM has been quickly expanding its presence in the US, opening sportsbooks up across multiple states. The company hopes to have continued success in West Virginia by offering top-of-the-line services after being the first site to bring brand-name recognition and legitimacy to a market that was badly in need.
What We Like:
BetMGM offers standard moneylines, spreads and totals as well as props and futures to provide a flavor for every bettor. There are also traditional teaser options available and the site displays a much more clear interface than some of its competitors, which makes quickly running through NFL betting markets convenient.
BetMGM may have the most daily promotions out of any online sportsbook. From odds boosts to bet $1 to win $100 promos, there is something for everyone.
DraftKings Sportsbook is favorite among NFL football fans in several states and has a reputation for offering ac complete betting experience that features high marks in many of the categories bettors will care about when choosing between online betting sites in West Virginia.
What We Like:
In more established states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, DraftKings is known for several things, including 1) more markets and NFL betting lines than most platforms and 2) profitable NFL betting odds in comparison to other large brands. That type of variety and generosity is expected to continue into the Mountain State as well.
DraftKings differs from its peers in that it offers a pair of bonuses to players creating a new account. New signups will receive a 50 percent match bonus up to $500, meaning up to $250 in site credit can be had without even placing a bet.
The site also offers a $200 bonus bet if the first wager placed following a deposit winds up in a loss. This doesn’t only count for new players either, as the site is rewarding its existing players with the same offer. A rare but welcome site for gamblers that may want to stick with their site, DraftKings Sportsbook WV will reward you for it.
Picking the best NFL betting site is the first step to winning and in a way, is just am important as the bets themselves. Players should feel like the site they’re using is completely legitimate and safe while providing regular promotions and benefits to those with an account. Below we’ll detail some of the factors that go into finding sportsbooks for online gambling on the NFL if you’re in a state that legally allows it.
Some bettors are looking to gamble with conventional lines on a week-to-week basis, while others want to wager on futures or props. DraftKings and BetMGM have some differences in some of the bet types they offer, the lines in those markets and how the sites reward players for signing up. Try to know what you’re looking for going in so you can inform yourself.
In the case of West Virginia here are only two options to choose from, but definitely compare them to one another. Signup offers, interface layout, NFL sportsbook promotions and the value of lines offered in all markets are all things to take into consideration. As the 2020 NFL schedule plays out, you’ll get a feel for each sportsbook’s lines on a week-to-week basis. Also, use the support resources offered like chat and email to any questions you may have. Terms and conditions can be confusing and this is one way to get some answers.
Especially in places like West Virginia where the legal status of sports betting has been up in the air, review sites like BonusSeeker can be a useful outlet. We spend hours reading and writing about our personal experiences with these applications and what each site has to offer its players. For a one-stop-shop experience with what the latest legal news is and what each site brings to the table, follow our editorial coverage and visit our best WV sportsbooks page.
Previously, the state only had one operator in BetLucky. With BetMGM and DraftKings involved, online NFL betting in West Virginia has some stability and two reliable brands available. Either site offers a high-quality experience, so we’d suggest trying out both. Usage and understanding of multiple WV sports betting apps will help you choose your preferred method of football gambling.
As of late August 2019, it is legal once again to wager with your mobile device on pro football and various other sports in West Virginia via the use of the BetMGM and DraftKings apps while physically inside the state. Sports gambling isn’t federally regulated so legislative decisions on whether not to include it are made by states individually, making the legality of betting on football is dependent upon your location.;
It’s been a little over a year since the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports wagering outside of Nevada, and nearly two-dozen states have responded with the passage of legislation to allow sports betting of some kind.
Many states including West Virginia are making the wise decision to make gambling available on mobile apps, which allows online betting on the NFL to be easier than it’s ever been. The entrance of brands like DraftKings and BetMGM to the online NFL betting landscape means additional gambling markets and bet types along with better odds for the player. These first-class services will lead to more money being wagered in bets and eventually, more dollars in revenue for the operators and in taxes for the state.
States who jumped feet-first into online sports betting like New Jersey are seeing massive rewards. The Garden State took just seven months to surpass $100 million in revenue after seeing over $200 million in bets, with much of that action coming during the NFL offseason. In December 2018 with the season at its peak, over $50 million in revenue was collected.
The Mountain State won’t see the same type of volume due to a smaller population, but it goes to show the power that professional football and sports betting can have as a profit-creation method moving forward. With a tax rate of just 10 percent, operators can move freely in this space while the government sees its share fo the action while players are still offered premier betting services.
If you would like to know more about problem gambling or think you may need to speak with some, you can find great resources on West Virginia’s Gambling help website about Self-Exclusion. You can also contact the helpline; 1-800-GAMBLER.