West Virginia already has a thriving gambling market, with residents having access to our best sports betting sites and our best real-money online casinos. And now, it’s looking to add online poker to the mix.
During a recent interview, the Director of the West Virginia Lottery, John Myers, explained that the state is ready to accept online poker operators. Online poker has been legal in West Virginia since 2019, and the state joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) in November 2023.
However, operators have yet to apply to launch online poker in WV, leaving local players without options. When asked why online poker operators have not gone live in The Mountain State, Myers said, “We are ready when they are.”
Previously, Myers suggested that online poker would launch in 2024, but time is running out for operators to fulfill that promise.
WV Online Poker Struggles While Other Verticals Thrive
Online poker has been legal in West Virginia since 2019 and was legalized through the same piece of legislation as online casinos and sports betting. While the online poker industry hasn’t even started yet, five years later, online sports betting and casino gambling have gone from strength to strength.
While West Virginia only has a population of 1.8 million, its sports betting handle regularly tops $20 million. West Virginia sports betting features eight online sportsbooks, including some of the most significant operators in the US, such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.
Meanwhile, the Mountain State is one of seven US jurisdictions with online casino markets. It is joined by the Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan online casino, NJ online casino, Rhode Island, and PA online casino scenes, allowing iGaming platforms to operate legally.
WV lawmakers have tried to overcome the lack of online poker networks by negotiating to join the MSIGA in November 2023. This allows any prospect operator that launches in West Virginia to share player pools between the agreement’s states, which include Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, and Michigan. The Pennsylvania Governor has also instructed local lawmakers to negotiate the Keystone State into the agreement.
No operators have launched despite the added boost of relying on more than West Virginia’s small player pool of 1.8 million. However, Delaware’s population is much smaller, and local players are still provided with an online poker network.
Delaware works on a licensing system different from West Virginia. DE gaming is provided through an exclusive partnership with BetRivers, the only operator allowed to operate in the state. Meanwhile, West Virginia enables multiple operators to operate with licensing from the West Virginia Lottery.
Which Operators May Launch in West Virginia?
BetMGM seems like the operator most likely to launch an online poker network in West Virginia. It already operates similar services in several US states under the BetMGM Poker brand. It’s the only gaming operator to directly operate an online poker network integrated with its online casino and sportsbook, which is already live in West Virginia. BetMGM is licensed to operate in The Mountain State through an agreement with The Greenbrier. BetMGM also congratulated West Virginia for entering the MSIGA.
Although nothing has happened yet, BetMGM is the most likely candidate. Otherwise, WV poker fans will have to wait for a new operator attached to a poker network to launch in the state or an already licensed platform to launch online poker.