West Virginia Casinos

West Virginia’s casino industry grew out of its pari-mutuel racing tradition, a model the state chose in the 1990s over authorizing standalone commercial casino resorts. The state’s approach to casinos in West Virginia puts racing licenses at the center West Virginia Lottery Act permitted video lottery terminals at licensed racetracks, and those VLT floors gradually expanded into full table-game operations at four facilities spread across the state: Wheeling in the northern panhandle, Chester along the Ohio River, Cross Lanes near Charleston, and Charles Town in the Eastern Panhandle. The Casino Club at the Greenbrier sits outside this racing framework as a resort casino within one of the country’s oldest continuously operating luxury hotels.

The result is a network of five casino properties that serve distinct regional markets rather than competing in a single city. West Virginia is also one of a small group of states where both online casino gambling (iGaming) and sports betting are fully legal, giving residents and visitors options well beyond the physical casino floor. There are no tribal gaming operations in West Virginia.

The Greenbrier: A Resort Casino Unlike Any Other

West Virginia’s Racetrack Casino Circuit

The state’s four racetrack casinos anchor gaming across four corners of West Virginia. Each license is tied to a pari-mutuel racing facility that operates live horse or greyhound racing seasons alongside a year-round casino floor.

West Virginia racetrack casino properties

H

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

Charles Town

24/7 · Poker Room

M

Mardi Gras Casino and Resort

Nitro

24/7 · Hotel

W

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack

Wheeling

24/7 · Hotel

M

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort

Chester

24/7 · Poker Room

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Charles Town is the state’s largest casino by table count and slot machine positions, with 98 table games and roughly 2,500 machines. The property sits about 70 miles from Washington D.C. and draws a substantial share of its visitors from the Northern Virginia and Maryland suburbs. Thoroughbred racing operates on a seasonal schedule, and a retail sportsbook is available on the gaming floor. Operated by Penn Entertainment under the Hollywood Casino brand, the poker room is the most active in the state, running 16 tables of no-limit hold’em, limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, Omaha 8-or-better, seven-card stud, and regular tournaments.

Mardi Gras Casino and Resort in Nitro, near Cross Lanes, serves Charleston and the Kanawha Valley. The property holds 30 table games and about 900 machines alongside a 24-table poker room, greyhound racing, and a seasonal outdoor pool. Mardi Gras sits roughly 10 miles west of downtown Charleston off I-64, making it the most convenient casino for visitors staying in or passing through the capital city. Delaware North operates the property.

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack occupies the northern panhandle on Wheeling Island in the Ohio River, about 60 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. The gaming floor runs blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker, Mississippi Stud, and electronic blackjack alongside a nine-table poker room with no-limit hold’em, limit hold’em, Omaha, and seven-card stud. A hotel and greyhound racing complete the property, which is the only West Virginia racetrack casino with on-site hotel rooms.

Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort in New Cumberland was the northernmost West Virginia casino and operated thoroughbred racing alongside one of the state’s deepest table game menus: 36 tables running 18 game variants including criss-cross poker, four-card poker, Spanish 21, and Texas Hold’em Bonus.

Permanently closed. Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort has ceased operations. Historical listing available.

Games and Poker at West Virginia Casinos

All four active West Virginia casino properties offer the full Class III table game range. Blackjack, roulette, craps, and three-card poker are standard at every location. The larger properties (Charles Town and Mardi Gras) add baccarat variants, big six, Mississippi Stud, pai gow poker, and Let It Ride. Mountaineer, when it operated, carried one of the broadest table game selections in the state with 18 distinct game types.

Slot machines and video poker terminals run in the thousands across the state, with Charles Town holding the largest floor at roughly 2,500 positions. The combination of Class III slots and VLT-style machines at the racetrack properties gives West Virginia players a mix of game formats not common in states with a single regulatory classification.

All five West Virginia casinos (including the now-closed Mountaineer) operated dedicated poker rooms, making West Virginia one of the more poker-dense states per capita. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races runs the largest room at 16 tables with the widest tournament schedule. Mardi Gras holds 24 tables with cash games and occasional tournament events. Wheeling Island operates a nine-table room. The Greenbrier’s two-table room is the smallest and runs exclusively Texas hold’em during resort operating hours.

Online Casino Play and Sports Betting in West Virginia

West Virginia is one of a handful of states where both online casino gambling and sports betting are fully legal. The state authorized sports betting in 2018, shortly after the Supreme Court struck down the federal prohibition on state-level sports wagering. Licensed retail sportsbooks operate at the casino properties, and mobile betting apps are available statewide. Online casino gambling (iGaming), which covers slots, table games, and live dealer play through licensed platforms, was authorized in 2019.

Players must be at least 21 years old and physically present in West Virginia to use iGaming and mobile sports betting apps. Geolocation technology confirms location at login and during play, and operators partner with land-based casino license holders to offer their platforms. Unlike neighboring Pennsylvania, which also has a large online market, West Virginia’s lower population means the iGaming market is smaller in absolute volume but competitive in operator selection relative to the state’s size. Residents of border communities in Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia can access West Virginia online platforms when physically in the state, though they cannot use them from home unless their own state has legalized iGaming.

Choosing Your West Virginia Casino

★ Editor-in-Chief · Casino Perspectives

Best Land-Based Casinos, By Visitor Profile

Kenji Tanaka

Poker Room Editor

🏛️ For D.C. Area Visitor

Best casino for someone driving from the Washington D.C. area

Charles Town Is the Natural Choice, and It Is a Good One

"Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is about 70 miles from downtown D.C., reachable via I-270 and Route 340. For a day trip or an evening out from the Virginia or Maryland suburbs, Charles Town is the obvious destination: it has the most tables (98), the most machines (roughly 2,500), the largest poker room (16 tables), and a sportsbook. The drive from Loudoun County or Frederick is under an hour for most locations. There are no other casinos within comparable driving distance: the nearest alternatives are MGM National Harbor (no casino gaming in Maryland beyond slots lottery terminals) and the Greenbrier (an additional two hours west). For anyone in the D.C. metro area wanting a full Class III casino experience, Charles Town is the pick."

Kenji Tanaka · Poker Room Editor

🏨 For Resort Traveler

Best casino for a resort-focused weekend

The Greenbrier Is a Resort That Happens to Have a Casino

"If your trip is about the resort experience first and the gaming second, the Greenbrier is the only property in West Virginia that fits. The casino is an amenity within a historic luxury hotel, not a standalone gaming destination. You will find blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, and slot machines alongside a spa, golf, fine dining, and the resort's historic tours and grounds. The trade-off is that the casino floor is smaller (35 tables, about 320 machines) and does not have the around-the-clock energy of a dedicated gaming property. Access requires a hotel reservation or a day visitor pass. If you want a weekend that includes some table game play between spa appointments or rounds of golf, the Greenbrier is the only property in the state built for that trip. If you want maximum game variety or a 24-hour poker room, Charles Town is the better call."

Kenji Tanaka · Poker Room Editor

🏙️ For Charleston Area Gambler

Best casino for someone in central West Virginia

Mardi Gras Is the Convenient Central-West Virginia Option

"Mardi Gras Casino and Resort in Nitro sits just off I-64, roughly 10 miles west of downtown Charleston. For anyone living in or traveling through Charleston, Huntington, or the Kanawha Valley, it is the only casino within easy driving distance. The property runs 30 table games, about 900 machines, a 24-table poker room, greyhound racing, and a seasonal outdoor pool. It is not the largest casino in the state (Charles Town has that title), but it holds the most poker tables and offers a full resort-style property with dining, a buffet, a spa, and valet parking. For central West Virginia gamblers, Mardi Gras is the comfortable default. If you are willing to drive further, the Greenbrier is about 90 minutes east and Charles Town is roughly four hours away on the other side of the state."

Kenji Tanaka · Poker Room Editor

📱 For Online Gambler

What the West Virginia online market offers

A Small State With a Surprisingly Open iGaming Framework

"West Virginia authorized online casino gambling in 2019 and sports betting in 2018, making it one of the more digitally open gaming states relative to its population. Licensed iGaming platforms offer online slots, blackjack, roulette, live dealer games, and video poker to anyone physically in the state who is at least 21. The operator pool includes several major national platforms operating under West Virginia Lottery Commission licenses. The market is smaller than Pennsylvania or New Jersey in total handle but competitive on operator selection. Mobile sports betting launched alongside the iGaming framework. If you live in West Virginia and do not want to drive to a physical casino, or if you are visiting and want to play from a hotel room in Charleston or a cabin in the New River Gorge area, the online market covers you without needing to be near a casino property."

Kenji Tanaka · Poker Room Editor

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West Virginia Gambling Law and Regulation

The West Virginia Lottery Commission is the primary gaming regulator for all casino, iGaming, and sports betting activity in the state. The West Virginia Racing Commission oversees the pari-mutuel side of the racetrack casinos, meaning each racino property operates under dual regulatory oversight. West Virginia has no tribal gaming, which simplifies the regulatory picture compared to states like Michigan or Oklahoma where tribal compacts create parallel regulatory structures.

Where Each Casino Sits on the Map

West Virginia’s five casino properties are distributed across five distinct locations, not clustered in a single gaming destination city.

• Charles Town / Eastern Panhandle: Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races (98 tables, 2,500+ machines, 16-table poker room, sportsbook). About 70 miles from Washington D.C.
• White Sulphur Springs / Greenbrier County: The Casino Club at the Greenbrier (resort property; hotel reservation or day pass required for casino access)
• Nitro / Cross Lanes (Charleston area): Mardi Gras Casino and Resort (30 tables, 900+ machines, 24-table poker room, greyhound racing). About 10 miles west of Charleston off I-64.
• Wheeling / northern panhandle: Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack (nine-table poker room, hotel, greyhound racing). About 60 miles from Pittsburgh.
• New Cumberland / far north: Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort (closed; historical listing available). Formerly operated thoroughbred racing and 36 table games.
• Online casino play: Legal statewide; available through licensed platforms for anyone 21 and older physically located in WV
• Sports betting: Legal retail and mobile; minimum age 21
• Minimum age: 21 at all WV casino properties; 18 for lottery and horse racing
• Regulator: West Virginia Lottery Commission (casino, iGaming, sports betting); WV Racing Commission (pari-mutuel racing)