Virginia is ranked number one in fewest gaming machines per capita and fewest casinos per capita! Why? Because they have zero brick and mortar casinos! Okay, we’re not sure why we’re acting excited about this because it’s awful news for gamblers. Luckily, you do have several top Virginia online casinos you can go to for action. They offer real money wagers on table games, casino-style games, sports betting, slot machines, and more.

Jul 15, 2014 Located inside Colonial Downs in New Kent County Virginia, between Richmond and Williamsburg, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium is open daily from 8am to midnight. It is one of five gambling venues in the Southern U.S. Slot machines are popular worldwide Casino Slots Near Virginia Beach Virginia for their record-breaking jackpots and exciting themes. With few rules and strategies to consider, slot games are perfect for new casino players. Try some free slot games. Best Sites for Real Money Online Gambling in Virginia. Historically speaking, Virginia has been a largely anti-gambling state. Things have begun to change in recent years, though, and lawmakers here officially voted to allow land-based casinos in early 2020.

Why These Are the Top Virginia Online Casino Sites

Our list of the top Virginia online casinos is not a directory listing. We didn’t seek out to list every available site. Instead, we put together a team of casino and gambling experts to identify the best Virginia online casino sites servicing gamblers in the Commonwealth.

What makes an online betting site the best of the best? There are hundreds of elements our teams analyze. Here are a few of the most significant factors.

Trustworthy Gambling Experience

We insist on only recommending top Virginia online casinos we fully trust, and we don’t give out our trust easily. Online betting sites need to demonstrate they have the right systems, processes, and people in place to facilitate a safe and secure online gambling experience to earn our trust.

Here are a few of the most important traits Virginia online casino sites must possess to get our seal of approval.

• Fair games operating at true random
• Internal processes that protect your money and personal information
• Proper monitoring processes for identifying external threats
• High-level site encryption and security measures in place
• A track record demonstrating excellence in safety and security

24/7 High-Quality Customer Service

When you gamble in person, you can walk right up to the pit boss if you need help. At Virginia online casinos, though, it’s a little different. You have to utilize one of their digital methods to get help. At quality sites, you can get the same level of service and customer support you would in person.

The Virginia online casino sites we recommend understand the importance of excellent customer service. They’ve put the right people, processes, and technology in place to deliver this. Specifically, they all have the following:

• Agents available 24/7 all 365 days out of the year
• Multiple avenues for contact (mail, chat, phone, contact form, social media, etc.)
• Fluency in English
• Agents with the tools, ability, and authorization to help with issues

Mobile Betting Options

In the US, our culture is one that likes to be on the go. It’s hard to find time to sit down at our computer and play our favorite casino games. Thankfully, the best Virginia online casinos offer mobile betting action to all customers. You can play table games, slots, and more from your phone or tablet as long as you have a phone or internet connection.

These days, almost everywhere in Virginia has Wi-Fi. No matter where you are, you’ll have the ability to get a quick mobile gaming session in.

Are Virginia Online Casinos Legal?

If you look through the law books of the Commonwealth of Virginia, you’re not going to find anything about Virginia online casinos. While you will find aggressive language against brick and mortar gambling, there are no provisions in place to deal with gambling online.

What does this mean for the million-dollar question? According to our interpretation, you are free to use Virginia online casino sites because doing so does not break any laws. Some would argue we are wrong. They’d argue the answer is not so clear and the answer is more ambiguous. But until you can point out what law is being broken, we refuse to agree it’s illegal.

Currently, there are no state-regulated Virginia gambling sites for you to play. Your only options are offshore operations. These businesses service VA gamblers but choose to keep their base of operations outside of the state lines. While the landscape for you as a player is slightly gray, the situation for casino providers is very ambiguous. But this doesn’t concern you unless you are looking to start your own online casino.

If you need a better answer to this question, we highly recommend seeking out counsel from a VA gaming attorney.

Land-Based Gambling in VA

Currently, there are no land-based casinos operating anywhere in Virginia. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is attempting to push through a $700 million casino property somewhere in the state. The tribe’s council has approved the project, but they will need to work things through the state and the US Bureau of Indian Affairs. We don’t expect the property anytime soon, but it is nice to see some hope on the horizon.

The only form of land-based or online gambling in Virginia that’s legal is the state lottery.

It’s clear that the state’s stance on gambling does not line up with the will of the people.

Future Predictions for Virginia Online Casino Sites

The future for Virginia online casinos and online gambling in the state is a mixed bag. The state’s stance on land-based casinos is a big red “x” in the negative column. But there are some online gambling bills currently working their way through the Virginia General Assembly.

HB 1638, introduced by Mark Sickles, looks to legalize sports betting and have it regulated through the state’s lottery system. Additionally, it wants to allow online lottery sales and clarify daily fantasy sports are not illegal and do not fall under the definition of sports betting.

For now, we must wait to see if the bill is able to pass. We predict a favorable chance as the bill has several revenue producing elements for the state tied in.

Outside of this bill, we don’t anticipate many other changes to the landscape in the next two to five years. If the Pamunkey tribe are able to get their land-based casino property approved, we may upgrade this prediction. Anytime a state gets a taste of the tax revenue from gambling, it’s a good sign for all forms.

Virginia Online Casinos FAQ

If you are looking to play casino games in person or on a casino boat in Virginia, you are out of luck. There are zero casinos or riverboats operating within the state. Your only options for real money casino action are Virginia online casinos.

Yes! All of the top Virginia online casino sites listed in this guide offer real money bonuses on table games and slot machines. They have some of the largest progressive jackpots in the industry.

Yes, you can. If you’re on the fence about online gambling in VA, you can try it risk-free thanks to the free play option. All games are available for you to play for as long as you want without any financial risk. When you decide you’re ready to play for real money, you can switch tables and have the chance to win big.

Introduction to West Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

West Virginia slot machine casino gambling consists of five casinos including one casino resort and four racetracks with slot machines. Many retailers have a few video lottery terminals.

The West Virginia state legislature has two sets of minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits depending upon the location of the gaming machine. Limited return statistics are available annually.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in West Virginia*

The minimum legal gambling age in West Virginia depends upon the gambling activity:

• Land-Based Casinos: 21
• Poker Rooms: 21
• Bingo: 18
• Lottery: 18
• Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 21

In 1994, West Virginia legalized video lottery terminals at their thoroughbred and greyhound racetracks. In 1999, West Virginia began allowing physical reel slot machines at licensed racetracks.

Machine restrictions at these pari-mutuel wagering facilities include approval by the local county and having only:

• Slots
• Blackjack
• Keno
• Many versions of poker

In 2001, West Virginia passed the Limited Video Lottery Act allowing bars and restaurants to have up to five video lottery terminals (VLTs) and fraternal organizations to have up to ten VLTs. The Act also restricted the state to a total of 9,000 VLTs.

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*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in West Virginia

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in West Virginia.

Gaming Control Board in West Virginia

The West Virginia Lottery Commission controls VLT gaming regulations. This lottery was created in 1984 by amending the Constitution of West Virginia with Article VI, Section 36.

Afterward, West Virginia legalized VLTs with subsequent amendments, acts, rules, and statutes. Each statute is available in the West Virginia Lottery’s Rules and Regulations.

Casinos in West Virginia

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There are four pari-mutuel racetracks and one casino resort in West Virginia, where their slot machines have 18 different games. In 2019, 1,303 commercial retailers each had between five and ten VLTs, offering eleven games.

The largest casino in West Virginia is Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races with 2,500 slot machines.

The second-largest casino is Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort with 1,525 slot machines.

Commercial Casinos in West Virginia

The four pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines in West Virginia are:

1. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Charles Town, 320 miles northeast of Charleston.
2. Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Cross Lanes, 10 miles northwest of Charleston.
3. Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort in New Cumberland, 35 miles north of Wheeling.
4. Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack in Wheeling.

The single casino resort in West Virginia is:

1. The Casino Club at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, 120 miles southeast of Charleston

Tribal Casinos in West Virginia

West Virginia has no federally-recognized tribes and, therefore, no tribal casinos.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying West Virginia slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering West Virginia is:

• North: Maryland Slots and Pennsylvania Slots
• East and South: Virginia Slots
• West: Kentucky Slots and Ohio Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to West Virginia.

Our West Virginia Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in West Virginia? If so, join our West Virginia slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in West Virginia. Join us!

Payout Returns in West Virginia

West Virginia has two sets of theoretical payout limits including:

• Racetracks and casino resort: 80% and 99.9%
• Commercial retailers: 80% and 92% (or 95%, if approved)

Retailers must obtain individual permissions to have a greater than 92% payout. These high payout terminals must obtain Commission approval twice, including:

Written consent prior to manufacturing
Approval before applying for testing

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From its 2019 Annual Report, the Commission reported the annual return statistics in West Virginia to be:

• Casino resort: 92.5%
• Racetracks: 89.6%
• Commercial Retailers: 92.1%

Summary of West Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

West Virginia slot machine casino gambling consists of one casino resort, four racetracks, and 1,303 retailers with VLT-style gaming machines. Retailers may have up to five VLTs if a bar or tavern, and up to ten VLTs if a fraternal organization. Up to 18 different games are available on these VLTs, including slot machine game themes.

The minimum theoretical payout is 80% for all VLTs. The maximum theoretical payout is 99.9% for casinos, but 92% for retailers. With permissions, retailers can obtain a 95% maximum theoretical payout for specific VLT machines.

Annual Progress in West Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Over the last year, there has been no change in the West Virginia gaming industry.

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Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC