West Virginia Lottery to submit emergency rules for online gambling

The West Virginia Commission has announced that it will file a 39-page emergency rule for online gambling within the state, paving the way for the launch of its online gambling market in the following months.
 

The emergency rules
 

In accordance with the draft rules, each land-based casino in West Virginia can offer up to three online gambling skins under a license. However, casino operators will be required to pay a license fee of $100,000. The suppliers that provide technology, content and operating systems for online gambling services will be required to pay a $10,000 licensing fee, as well. 

The West Virginia Lottery Commission will be able to grant interim licenses allowing companies to act as operators or suppliers for up to 270 days. During this time frame, the Commission would carry out a full review of each application it receives.

The director of the WVLC, John Myers, said:

Once approved, West Virginia casinos can begin offering [iGaming] under the emergency rules and minimum internal controls. Those rules will be good for 15 months until the permanent legislative rule is adopted by the legislature.

Mr. Myers expects that the iGaming industry will bring in the same revenue as sports betting, which has a 10%  tax rate for the state on money bet at the casinos and through mobile apps.
 

The tax rate is 15 % in iGaming and 10 % in sports wagering but with the number of people we have I expect the same revenue generation, Myers said.

Gambling in West Virginia
 

The State of West Virginia has yet to approve online gambling. However, the state has still managed to create a diverse gambling market. West Virginia became one of the first states to legalize and launch sports wagering within the state, following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018.

Nonetheless, the rules lay out the possibility to offer multiplayer gaming, which could translate into online poker. If this is going to be the case, West Virginia would have to team up with jurisdictions where it is already legal, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania.