BetMGM West Virginia: Legal, But a Tax Hike Bill Looms

BetMGM West Virginia: Legal Since 2020, Tied to The Greenbrier

BetMGM West Virginia runs as a fully licensed sportsbook and online casino, but the license behind it doesn’t trace to a racetrack like most of its competitors — it traces to The Greenbrier, the historic resort hotel in White Sulphur Springs. West Virginia was also one of the first states in the country to legalize sports betting after the 2018 PASPA ruling, and it now taxes BetMGM’s casino revenue at one of the lowest rates in the nation, a number two pending 2026 bills want to change.

Legal status in West Virginia

West Virginia authorized retail sports betting under the West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act in 2018, becoming one of the first states to launch after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal PASPA ban that May; retail books opened statewide on September 1, 2018. The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act followed in 2019, letting the state’s racetrack casinos and, separately, "the historic resort hotel" — a license class written for The Greenbrier alone — offer online sports betting and online casino games through a licensed digital partner. BetMGM is The Greenbrier’s partner, not a racetrack’s. The West Virginia Lottery Commission regulates both products: sports betting is taxed at 10% of gross gaming revenue and interactive wagering (online casino) at 15%, the lowest iGaming rate of the seven states that currently allow it — though two bills introduced in January 2026, HB 4397 and HB 4398, would push both rates to 25%.

State gambling authority: West Virginia Lottery Commission — licenses and audits both West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering and West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering operators, caps each category at five licenses statewide, and maintains the self-exclusion list BetMGM is required to honor.

BetMGM West Virginia is a fully licensed sportsbook and online casino, but its license doesn’t run through a racetrack the way most of its in-state competitors’ do. It runs through The Greenbrier, the 151-year-old resort hotel in White Sulphur Springs — a property with no slot floor or horse track in its history, sitting in state law as its own license class. West Virginia was also one of the fastest states to move after the Supreme Court struck down the federal PASPA ban in May 2018, with retail sports betting live by that September.

Is BetMGM Legal in West Virginia?

Yes. The West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act authorized retail and mobile sports betting in 2018, and the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act added online casino play in 2019. BetMGM launched its mobile sportsbook here in January 2020 and its online casino that August, both under continuous West Virginia Lottery Commission licensing since. There’s no gray area and no workaround required for a resident 21 or older.

The Greenbrier, not a racetrack: West Virginia’s 2019 law created a license specifically for "the historic resort hotel" alongside licenses for the state’s racetrack casinos. The Greenbrier is that license, and BetMGM is its digital partner — not Hollywood Casino at Charles Town, Mardi Gras, Wheeling Island, or Mountaineer, the racetrack properties behind several rival sportsbooks in the state.

Is BetMGM Safe in West Virginia?

Yes, in the regulatory sense that matters. The Lottery Commission enforces geolocation so a bet can’t be placed from outside state lines, audits both the sportsbook and casino product, and keeps a self-exclusion registry that BetMGM is required to check players against. That’s a real accountability chain — it doesn’t mean any individual bet or hand of blackjack favors the player.

One of Only Four Casino States

West Virginia is one of just four states — with Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania — where BetMGM runs a full online casino next to its sportsbook. The casino side launched August 27, 2020, making it the second online casino to go live in West Virginia, behind only DraftKings. It started with roughly 30 games, including a progressive jackpot slot that was, at the time, exclusive to the state.

The tax number worth watching: West Virginia taxes BetMGM’s online casino revenue at 15% and its sports betting revenue at 10% — the lowest interactive-wagering rate of the seven states with commercial online casino gaming. Two bills filed in January 2026, HB 4397 and HB 4398, would raise both to 25%; neither had cleared committee as of this writing.

Who It Fits

Adults 21+ in West Virginia get BetMGM’s full sportsbook-and-casino product, backed by a license tied to one of the state’s oldest resort properties rather than a racetrack, at one of the lightest tax rates BetMGM pays anywhere in the country — for now. Treat any deposit as entertainment spending, not a plan for income. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

BetMGM West Virginia — Frequently Asked Questions

Is BetMGM legal in West Virginia?

Yes. BetMGM has operated a licensed mobile sportsbook in West Virginia since January 2020 and a licensed online casino since August 2020, both under the West Virginia Lottery Commission. A West Virginia resident 21 or older can use the real, regulated app today — no workaround needed.

Is BetMGM safe to use in West Virginia?

Yes. The Lottery Commission requires geolocation to confirm a bettor is physically in-state, audits both the sportsbook and the casino product, and maintains a statewide self-exclusion list BetMGM must check against. That oversight is real, even though West Virginia is a small market compared to New Jersey or Pennsylvania.

Is BetMGM legit in West Virginia, or is The Greenbrier connection unusual?

It is legit, and the unusual part is the law, not the brand. West Virginia wrote its 2019 interactive wagering statute to allow exactly one "historic resort hotel" license alongside the state's racetrack casinos — and The Greenbrier, a 150-year-old resort in White Sulphur Springs with no horse track or slot floor history, is that license. BetMGM partners with The Greenbrier rather than with Hollywood Casino at Charles Town or one of the state's other racetrack properties that back competing sportsbooks.

Does BetMGM have an online casino in West Virginia?

Yes — West Virginia is one of only four states, alongside Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, where BetMGM runs a full online casino next to its sportsbook. It launched August 27, 2020, as the second online casino to go live in the state, after DraftKings.

Why is BetMGM taxed so much lower in West Virginia than in Pennsylvania?

West Virginia set its interactive wagering tax at 15% of adjusted gross receipts when it wrote the 2019 law — the lowest rate among the seven states with commercial online casino gaming, versus 54% on Pennsylvania online slots. Sports betting sits at 10% here. Neither number is a sign of looser regulation; it is simply how each state's legislature priced the license.

Is West Virginia about to raise taxes on BetMGM?

Maybe, eventually. Delegate Adam Burkhammer introduced HB 4397 and HB 4398 in January 2026 to raise both the interactive wagering and sports wagering tax rates to 25%. As of this writing neither bill has cleared committee, and the 10%/15% rates remain in effect — but it is the kind of bill worth watching if it resurfaces in a future session.