Best Casinos in West Virginia

West Virginia's commercial casino industry is built on five licensed properties — four racino-style gaming venues and one luxury resort casino — operating under the authority of the West Virginia Lottery Commission. Collectively, these five properties generated $576.9 million in traditional casino gaming revenue in 2024, with electronic gaming devices (slots) accounting for $479.1 million and table games contributing $97.8 million.

The state's gaming landscape underwent a dramatic transformation beginning in 2018, when West Virginia became one of the first states in the nation to legalize sports betting following the Supreme Court's PASPA repeal. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races accepted the first legal retail sports wager in the state on August 30, 2018 — days before most other early-adopter states went live. Mobile and online sports wagering followed within months, with nine licensed sportsbook apps operating in the state by the end of 2024.

West Virginia took a second early-mover position in July 2020, when it became the 4th state in the United States to launch legal online casino gaming (iGaming), following only New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. DraftKings Casino went live on July 15, 2020, anchoring what has since become one of the nation's fastest-growing online casino markets. By 2024, 10 licensed online casino platforms were operating in West Virginia, generating $246.5 million in iGaming revenue — a 57.3% increase over the prior year — and representing approximately 28% of the state's total commercial gaming revenue.

West Virginia's casino market faces significant competitive pressure from neighboring states, including Maryland (which draws customers away from Hollywood Casino at Charles Town) and Ohio and Pennsylvania (which compete with Wheeling Island and Mountaineer Casino in the northern panhandle). Despite this, the state's total commercial gaming revenue reached $878.8 million in 2024 — the highest figure since 2012 — driven primarily by iGaming growth that offset modest declines in traditional land-based slot and table revenue.

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is West Virginia's largest and highest-revenue casino property, drawing from the greater Washington, D.C.–Baltimore metropolitan area — a market of millions within a 60-to-90-minute drive. The facility integrates a full-scale casino floor with a live thoroughbred racing track, making it one of the most significant racino operations on the East Coast. It houses more than 1,900 slot machines and 70 table games across approximately 181,000 square feet of gaming space.

The casino operates under Penn Entertainment (formerly Penn National Gaming), with Gaming and Leisure Properties (GLPI) holding the real estate. The on-site hotel, The Inn at Charles Town, provides 153 rooms for overnight guests. A full retail sportsbook operates on the property, and Hollywood Casino was among the first venues in the state to accept legal sports wagers in September 2018.

• Hollywood Casino Online WV & ESPN Bet WV

Mardi Gras Casino & Resort is a full-service gaming destination located in Nitro, West Virginia (served by the Cross Lanes post office), just off Interstate 64 approximately 14 miles west of Charleston. The property sits on a 90,000-square-foot gaming floor featuring more than 1,000 slot machines and 25+ table games, complemented by a 150-room hotel.

Notably, Mardi Gras is one of only two remaining venues in the United States with live greyhound racing — the other being its sister property, Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, both owned by Delaware North. The casino was acquired by Delaware North from Hartman & Tyner in 2018, consolidating Delaware North's two West Virginia greyhound racing properties under single ownership. In September 2025, FanDuel designated Delaware North's Mardi Gras Casino as its West Virginia market access partner for both iGaming and online sports betting operations.

• FanDuel Casino WV & FanDuel Sportsbook WV

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort is West Virginia's most comprehensive full-service resort casino, offering a 357-room hotel, an 18-hole championship golf course, a full-service spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and 13,000 square feet of meeting and event space — all on 77 acres along the Ohio River in Hancock County in the state's northern panhandle. The 78,000-square-foot casino floor features 1,100+ slot machines and 32 table games alongside a live thoroughbred racing track.

The property's real estate is owned by VICI Properties (NYSE: VICI), one of the largest gaming REITs in the United States, while Century Casinos (NASDAQ: CNTY) holds the operating agreement. Mountaineer competes directly with casinos in Pittsburgh and eastern Ohio for northern panhandle gaming customers.

• BetRivers Casino WV (Rush Street Interactive)
• Caesars Palace Online Casino WV / Horseshoe Online WV

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack occupies a unique position in American gaming history as one of only two venues in the United States still hosting live greyhound racing (alongside its sister property Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Nitro). Delaware North has owned and operated the Wheeling Island property since 1988, making it one of the longest continuously managed gaming properties under single private ownership in the country.

The approximately 100,000-square-foot casino floor features more than 1,400 slot machines and 20 table games, complemented by a dedicated nine-table poker room. The 151-room hotel completes the property's resort offerings. Located on an island in the Ohio River in Wheeling's northern panhandle, the property competes with Pittsburgh-area gaming and Ohio casinos for market share.

• Betly WV

The Casino Club at The Greenbrier is West Virginia's most distinctive gaming destination — a 103,000-square-foot casino embedded within one of America's most celebrated luxury resort hotels. The Greenbrier, a National Historic Landmark operating since 1778, offers 710 hotel rooms and cottages, five championship golf courses (including the annual PGA Tour's charity event), a world-class mineral baths spa, and more than 30 restaurants and bars. The casino features 320 slot machines and 35 table games in an elegantly designed, non-smoking environment distinct from the state's racino properties.

The Greenbrier was rescued from bankruptcy in 2009 by Jim Justice (who later served as Governor of West Virginia) and his Justice Family Group, LLC. The casino opened on July 2, 2010. Unlike the four racino properties, The Greenbrier does not host pari-mutuel racing. Its remote location in Greenbrier County — a four-plus-hour drive from much of the state — positions it as a destination resort rather than a convenience gaming property. Despite its smaller gaming floor, The Greenbrier's iGaming revenue has been among the highest per-property in West Virginia, reflecting strong online performance by its casino partners.

• BetMGM Casino WV (MGM Resorts)
• Golden Nugget Online Casino WV (LNW Entertainment)

SPORTS BETTING

ONLINE CASINO

ONLINE POKER

MOBILE SPORTS BETTING

9 licensed sportsbook apps operate in West Virginia — including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, BetRivers, ESPN Bet, and Betly. Mobile wagering accounts for more than 95% of all sports betting activity in the state. Geolocation required — must be physically within West Virginia state lines.

RETAIL SPORTSBOOKS

Full-service retail sportsbooks operate at all five West Virginia casino properties:

• Hollywood Casino Charles Town
• Mardi Gras Casino & Resort
• Mountaineer Casino Resort
• Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack
• The Casino Club at The Greenbrier

West Virginia was the 5th state to open legal retail sportsbooks post-PASPA (August/September 2018).

REGULATORY NOTES

West Virginia's sports betting market is competitive and open — unlike Delaware's lottery monopoly model. All major national operators are licensed in WV.

WV Lottery Commission may ban patrons found to harass athletes, coaches, or officials (2024 legislation).

Tax proceeds fund: WV Lottery Sports Wagering Fund → $15M to State Lottery Fund → remainder to health insurance for public sector employees.

WV University authorized to study iGaming/sports betting data to support academic programs in gaming technology (2024 legislation).