Who is this article suitable for? - All of our WV sportsbook lovers
Whether you’ve been a sports bettor for ages or you’re just taking a peek to see if it’s for you, this article lays it all out and gives insight as to how online sportsbook should look like, what they should offer, and even a bonus WV sportsbook recommendation from Strafe.com with love. You’ll only find news and reviews of the best WV sportsbooks at Strafe.com.
The legal history of sports betting West Virginia — The current savior for neighboring states
West Virginia became the fifth state to legalize sports betting in August 2018, after New Jersey, Mississippi, Nevada, and Delaware. In December 2018, West Virginia also became the third state to offer online sports betting. This happened after voters in the Mountain State voted in favor of legalizing WV sports betting.
The US Supreme Court found the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act to be unconstitutional in May 2018, which granted all US states the opportunity to legalize gambling if a consensus was reached on individual state levels. This was a crucial precursor to the potential legalization of sports betting in all states, including West Virginia sports betting.
Thus, led by the West Virginia Lottery Commission, the first West Virginian land-based sportsbooks opened right in time for the 2018 football season. More retail operations opened throughout the season, and the first online app was officially launched in December 2018; however, not without a few hiccups.
December 2018 saw the WV sportsbook BetLucky go online, but due to provider problems, the operator had to shut the online operations down in March 2019. Eventually, BetLucky ended up closing its doors.
In August 2019, DraftKings and FanDuel came to the rescue by re-establishing the WV online sports betting presence, and West Virginia’s online sports betting market benefitted from these two high-quality options. Then, in January 2020, the collection of best West Virginia sportsbooks was broadened by the mighty BetMGM and legend William Hill. Talk about an all-star cast.
West Virginia sports betting legislation allows the state to offer WV sports betting services to bettors from not only their own turf but also neighboring states that do not yet have the privilege of utilizing land-based or online sports betting due to legislative issues. Many residents from neighboring states like Ohio and Kentucky travel to West Virginia to wager with the best WV sportsbooks.
WV online sports betting is now regulated by the West Virginia Lottery Commission, regulating the industry by drafting rules for not only the operators but also suppliers.
Editor’s recommendation - Topping the best West Virginia sportsbooks
Our choice of top West Virginia sportsbooks may surprise you, but trust us, this sportsbook not only has the experience but also the features to make it our first choice in the Mountain State.
William Hill was founded in the UK in 1938 and has since become a giant in global sports betting.
One of William Hill’s top features is its market depth and the number of betting options available in the different sport categories and individual matches. William Hill not only covers the major US sports like Football, Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey at the collegiate and professional levels, but it also offers some international options that are becoming increasingly popular among US bettors.
For starters, think Aussie Rules, Cricket, motorsport, and the major Soccer leagues. Additionally, with William Hill’s European roots, it has a superb selection when it comes to European sports like soccer. All-in-all, the operator offers over 100 markets across the globe.
William Hill is also up to date with online betting technology as it offers both live betting and streaming options that showcase updated stats and other relevant information that makes in-play betting that much more fun.
Finally, the operator offers a mobile app that is just as dynamic as its website and with quality design and software supporting the technology.
No matter whether you’re an experienced bookie or a newcomer to West Virginia sports betting, William Hill has the best options, odds, and services to make your experience the best it can be.
Our expert tips - For a secure and fair sports betting West Virginia experience
Look for operator contact details
A WV online sports betting operator is, in essence, a service provider. Thus, it needs to provide contact details in case a customer needs assistance or has any questions. Many of the best WV sportsbooks prefer adding a comprehensive FAQ section because of the plethora of similar questions going through to customer support, but this cannot be a replacement for live customer support or providing contact details.
If there are no contact details or options to speak to a customer care support representative, then the word “dodgy” is the first one that comes to our minds. A service provider, especially one that you’re giving money to and may require it to return some cash in the future, needs to be transparent enough to list its contact details and be contactable.
Check that the WV sportsbook has employed encryption technology
By now site encryption technology should be a standard component for WV sportsbooks you visit on the net, especially one where you provide personal information during the signup process.
Site encryption or SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology ensures that there is a veil of encryption between your information and the site you are visiting. It’s easy to check if a site has this encryption technology in place — simply take a look at your address bar.
There should be a padlock icon in front of the URL, and the URL should start with https://. If these details are not there, you are not on a secure site and need to exit immediately.
Even more important, if you are on a gambling site and these encryption signs are not there, get outta there!
The operator should be licensed and registered
This is as crucial as any of the requirements listed in this section. If the WV sportsbook you’re eyeing is not licensed and regulated according to State requirements, then you need to steer clear. Don’t just change lanes — turn around and go in the opposite direction!
Online and other West Virginia sports betting operators have a specific body regulating its legitimacy and activities, and this body is the West Virginia Lottery Commission.
Legit WV online sports betting operators usually have this information available on their sites, so if you want to do some investigation, scroll down to the bottom of the main page where all the operator information can usually be found. It’s also a good idea to confirm using other sources like Strafe.com’s operator reviews so you never have to ask the question “is sports betting legal in West Virginia?” again.
Read sportsbooks in West Virginia’s user terms and conditions
If you really want to know what a West Virginia sports betting operator is like after you’ve confirmed that the site is safe and the operator is licensed, go on and read through the user’s terms and conditions.
Here, you’ll find out just how straightforward the operator really is and if its services are really customer-oriented or just a money-making scheme.
If there are too many restrictions or the terms and conditions are not clear and easy to understand, this can be a warning sign to stay away and look for a WV sportsbook that has your best interests at heart.
Of course, our WV sports betting operator reviews will always give you a helpful breakdown and recommend only the best sportsbooks that provide quality wagering options.
What do we look for when evaluating sports betting West Virginia operators for WV residents? - Plenty!
Quality customer support
As we’ve mentioned before, a WV online sports betting operator should have some form of customer support. However, there are the great, good, bad, and ugly. That’s why we make customer support services a priority when we conduct our West Virginia sports betting operator reviews because of the impact bad customer support can have on customers and because great customer service is a sign that the operator cares about its customers.
For example, a West Virginia sports betting operator that provides a 24/7 live chat service with a good response rate is ideal. This means that your queries and potential issues will most likely be resolved much faster than if you have to phone a hotline and can only do so during certain hours.
When it comes to our reviewing bonuses and promotions, this component has two sub-components. The first is whether there are any bonuses and promotions, and the second is whether these promotions and bonuses are actually user-friendly.
It’s of no use to anyone who is looking forward to signing up for a bonus deal if the play-through requirements are almost impossible, so the quality of these promotions and signup bonuses are crucial and we love spending our time making sure they are worth your while.
Payment methods
West Virginia sports betting operators need to have options in place for customers with different payment method preferences. Additionally, the payment process needs to be safe and secure, and when it comes to withdrawals, the waiting period before the payment clears can take long sometimes. These are all aspects we look at when we conduct a West Virginia online sports betting review.
WV sportsbooks will also often provide fewer withdrawal options than deposit options, which can affect a customer’s choice of signing up.
All in all, payment methods are a crucial component of a quality WV sportsbook, and at Strafe.com, we discuss this topic in detail in our operator reviews.
Licensing and regulation
Because of its importance, this is one of the first details we check when we conduct a West Virginia online sports betting review. Without these credentials in place, there’s no reason to continue with the review as Strafe.com will not recommend an unlicensed, unregulated WV sportsbook to potential customers.
As mentioned, all online WV sportsbooks need to be registered at the West Virginia Lottery Commission.
Market depth
What can sportsbooks in West Virginia offer you? Does it offer lots of different sports to wager on or is its portfolio nothing special?
When our experts at Strafe.com conduct these reviews, we look at whether a West Virginia sports betting operator offers local, all-American sports but also international sports as these are very popular and boost the market depth of a sportsbook.
Then, some WV sportsbooks also offer wagering opportunities on niche sports, which we also look out for.
The best WV online betting sites
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Finding the right West Virginia sports betting operator for you - Some advice from our experts
Betting and sports preferences
If you have specific preferences when it comes to sports betting, then this is going to play a major role in the online sports betting operator you’re looking for. If you’re into American sports like baseball or football, then you won’t have much trouble finding a sportsbook in this regard. However, the less well-known the sport, the harder it may be to find an operator that offers wagering options on it. For example, if you’re an avid volleyball or ping pong bettor, then you need to look for a sports betting platform with a little more depth.
Thus, checking out the betting profiles before you decide to sign up is vital if you are into specific sports.
In the same way that bonus offers can be similar, they can also be different. Two operators can both offer a deposit match bonus, but you may prefer one operator’s playthrough requirements more than the other.
Additionally, what about after you’re signed up? Are you someone who’s interested in ongoing promotions to keep you entertained, or are you the type of person who likes to have VIP status and get exclusive rewards and deals that other customers don’t?
If bonuses, promos, and loyalty programs push the right buttons with you, it needs to be part of your search criteria when you’re looking for your perfect West Virginia sportsbook.
Availability
Some online sports betting operators in West Virginia may only provide a desktop app when others can offer you a mobile app. If you’re the kind of person who likes to bet on the go or just know the availability is there for your convenience, then looking for an operator that offers a solid app should be on your list.
Deposit and withdrawal methods
Let’s say you have your eye on a sportsbook in West Virginia, but you want to use PayPal as a deposit method and the sportsbook doesn’t have that option. Is this going to be a major issue for you? If so, don’t fret too much as there are plenty of options out there and you don’t even have to make a list of West Virginia sportsbooks. You can read all about them in our comprehensive Strafe.com West Virginia online sports betting review section.
Conclusion - Find the best betting sites in West Virginia with us!
If you reside in West Virginia or a neighboring state, you can consider yourself lucky as your WV online sports betting options are top quality.
Now that you have a clear idea of how West Virginia turned into one of the most popular sports betting states in the US and got the gist of how Strafe.com sports betting experts conduct sportsbook reviews, you can also use the pointers provided to go through the reviews and find the West Virginia online sportsbook that meets all of your wants and needs.
Make sure to check in with Strafe.com regularly for the most up-to-date operator reviews and information about bonuses and promotions offered by online sportsbooks in West Virginia. We also cover all the best gambling sites for US residents, whether you live in the sunny state of Florida or the rocky mountains of Colorado.
Top betting bonuses
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Best West Virginia Sportsbook FAQ
🏈Which sports can I bet on at online sports betting operators in West Virginia?
Because there are many WV sportsbooks to choose from, you’ll have quite a few options as different West Virginia sports betting operators offer different sports in their betting markets. However, if you’re looking for something specific and you want to make your search a lot easier, you can just navigate to our WV sportsbook review section where we give you all the details neatly wrapped up.
✅How do I know a WV online sports betting operator is legit?
Sportsbooks in West Virginia need to adhere to specific rules and regulations as other sportsbooks would in the state they are located. To find out everything you need to know about sports betting West Virginia and when a sportsbook is correctly licensed, make sure to take a look at Strafe.com’s reviews. We even cover online casinos in WV if you feel like switching it up!
🔍What do I need to look for in a WV sportsbook?
You need to look for whatever is most important to you. We provide some great pointers on how to find your best WV sportsbook in our article, so take a look and find your match for online gambling in West Virginia!
