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Despite the lack of a professional sports team, West Virginia became the fifth state to offer legal sports betting in August 2018 following Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey and Mississippi.

However, an unfortunate six-month hiatus threatened to derail sports betting in WV before it had even begun.

Today, the market is nowhere near the level of NJ and PA in terms of handle or profit. But with DraftKings and FanDuel having laid down roots and William Hill nearing an online expansion of its retail operations at Eldorado’s Mountaineer casino, West Virginia is steadily on the rise.

Read on below for everything that has happened in between:

Once you’ve decided between the two superb apps, you’ll need to create a sports betting account.

To do this, the sportsbook needs you to provide basic details such as name, address, social security number etc, all of which is common practice across the states.

To get going with your account set up, follow these 4 simple steps:

1. Set Up Account - create a username, password and enter e-mail address. Also, if applicable, enter promo code to claim bonus.
2. Verify Information - provide the required personal information: name, physical address, date of birth, last 4 digits of social security number.
3. Secure Account - select a preferred payment method and provide details (e.g. card number)
4. Confirm Location - ensure location services on your device are enabled so the geolocation technology on your phone can confirm your location in West Virginia.

Need to know legislation for players:

• Full-scale online and mobile wagering
• Must be at least 21 to wager legally
• Wagering permitted on all professional and college sports
• No betting allowed on high school sports
• Must be within West Virginia borders to place a mobile wager
• WV residency not required to bet

Regulations for sportsbooks:

• $100,000 license fee
• 10% tax on sports betting revenue
• Must partner with one of the five WV retail casinos
• Each casino licensee can offer up to three online platforms
• No restrictions on wagers offered

There are three active sportsbooks in West Virginia currently:

The Greenbrier - FanDuel Sportsbook

Retail sportsbook is run by FanDuel who operate its online sportsbook and betting app through Greenbrier license

Hollywood Casino - DraftKings Sportsbook

The first legal sportsbook to open in WV, Hollywood allows DraftKings to operate its online and mobile offering via its licence. Note, DraftKings has no live sportsbook here.

Mountaineer Casino - William Hill

A global sports betting name across Europe and US, William Hill runs retail operations at the Mountaineer but are yet to launch online. An app and online sportsbook will surely follow.

It was on. Then it was off. But after a six-month hiatus, online sports betting returned to the state in late August in the best possible fashion.

Two of the best performing US sportsbooks DraftKings and FanDuel launched within two days of one another in late August to officially kick-start online gambling in West Virginia.

The pair, having built their respective empires in daily fantasy sports, are now head-to-head in a third state, New Jersey and Pennsylvania also home to the newest sports betting rivalry.

How to download sports betting app

• DraftKings WV

iOS: download directly from the App Store

Android users: download directly from DraftKings desktop sportsbook

• FanDuel WV

iOS: download directly from the App Store

Android users: download specific FanDuel WV app from FanDuel.com

In life, rarely is anything free. While it’s possible to browse odds and compile bets at an online sportsbook without paying a dime, to place a real money wager and possibly win big bucks, you will need to deposit some cash.

Let’s check out the most common deposit types in a bit more detail:

Debit and Credit Cards

The payment method the majority of bettors prefer to use and therefore the most common at online sportsbooks and casinos in West Virginia.

Paypal

An e-wallet is a good alternative if you’re not so keen on providing a sportsbook with your card details directly. All you have to do is link your credit card, debit card or bank account to your PayPal account. The beauty of such a service is how easy, quick and safe the process is. In what is essentially PayPal serving as a middle man between your bank and online sportsbook, the chances of personal details being compromised are almost eliminated.

Bank Transfers

What it says on the tin! Wire money directly from your bank account to your online betting account. Transfer information will be provided by the online sportsbook or casino. Depending on your bank you should be able can initiate a transfer online. Otherwise, you’ll need to visit your local branch.

ACH (Electronic Checks)

In the eyes of an online sportsbook or casino, an e-check works similarly to a standard, paper check. With that in mind, it won’t be the fastest way of getting money in your account. Expect the process to take between 1 and 2 days.

PayNearMe

If you’re old school and prefer to perform money transactions with hard cash, you can head to a local 7-Eleven, CVS Pharmacy or Family Dollar Store and top your betting account ‘over the counter’. Simply get a pay code from the online sportsbook/casino and take it to an authorised PayNearMe location. There, the cashier will scan the code and complete the deposit.

No teams, no problem!

Believe it or not, there isn’t one single major league team in the Mountain State.

But it’s not all about the top-level y’ know. The talent on show and excitement generated can be every bit as good elsewhere. And that is certainly the case here.

With football the number one sport in WV, locals are known to get behind university teams West Virginia Mountaineers and Marshall Thundering Herd come gameday.

However, there's plenty of folks still in need of their NFL fix which means the likes of Washington Football Team, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, among others, receive significant support in WV too.

Aside from football, West Virginians are keen for baseball with these minor league teams in Charleston, Granville and Princeton backed considerably:

• Princeton Rays
• West Virginia Black Bears
• West Virginia Power
• West Virginia Mountaineers

Once upon a time, the choice of a sports bettor was limited to a handful of options. Wagers comprised choosing a winner or a pools made up of a selection of teams. Maybe the odd futures wager.

Nowadays, the options are endless - you can bet on almost anything and everything. From the serious to the ridiculous, there is a bet. Pre-game, in-game, post-game there are wagers to be placed and money to be made.

There has never been a better time to broaden your betting

Many wagers are specific to a sport. Also, being creatures of habit, we all favor certain types of bets we’re comfortable with. But there has never been a better time to broaden your betting.

Money line

The most common bet you can place since you’re betting on the winner of a game/contest.

Totals (Over/Under)

With the result of the game irrelevant, this bet essentially asks the bettor how many points/runs/goals are scored in a game. The bettor must bet either Over or Under the line set by the sportsbook.

Futures

A wager placed prior to a competition starting. Betting on the overall winner of the Super Bowl tends to be a common team Futures wager. Who will be named MVP come the end of the season is a popular Players Future.

Parlays

This bet combines multiple individual bets into one bet/card and needs all bets to be successful for the whole bet to win. Typically, a parlay features a minimum of two selections or a maximum of fifteen. The more bets included, the higher the odds and the bigger the payout naturally. One of the more impressive parlay wins of 2019 came in NJ where an online bet of $20 on a 15 game parlay comprising a mix of NCAA and NBA games brought winnings of $178,000! Quite the profit!

Prop

This steps away from traditional wagers and betting on the outcome of a game. The majority of prop bets focus on an individual player or an event itself within the game. How many touchdowns a certain player will score is a common Player Prop bet, as is calling the winner of the coin toss. Another example would be a Game Prop where you could bet on the length of the national anthem in the Super Bowl. The number of TD’s scored by the home side is a common team prop bet. It’s possible to tweet some sportsbooks for odds on an event not among the options listed.

Spreads

Betting on two teams of contrasting quality can offer less-than-appealing odds. A spread acts as an equalizer and helps to address the difference in quality by giving the underdog a headstart. For the purpose of the bet, a set amount of points is taken from the favorite and given to the underdog, prior to the game starting. Odds are given on whether the favorite can overturn a points deficit - typically referred to as covering the spread - and whether the underdog can hold on to the advantage. In turn, this produces better odds on both sides.

Teasers

Similar to a parlay, a teaser also comprises a selection of two or more wagers as part of one bet. Like a parlay, all bets must also be correct for the overall wager to win. A teaser differs in the sense a bettor may alter a point spread or over/under totals in order to make a wager easier to win. The sport being bet on dictates the point difference which can range from 4 and 10 points.

After a few bumps in the road, West Virginia sports betting is now picking up pace. But has the state always been in support of the industry and gambling in general?

Well, since 1994 at least. Casino gambling in West Virginia has been available since then in the state’s established five casinos, along with horse and dog racing and a variety of traditional casino games.

In regards to sports betting in West Virginia, the Mountain State stood firm alongside New Jersey in their attempts to legalize sports betting. The state introduced a bill in 2017 in support of the idea, enacting legislation in 2018.

The WV Lottery Commission, regulators of the industry, drafted rules for casinos to launch online in time for the 2018-19 NFL. While this target was achieved with a full launch on September 1 2018, online betting in West Virginia has suspended not long after.

A dispute between casino operator Delaware North and sports betting provider Miomni led to the state’s sole sports betting app to cease operations in March 2019.

Online gambling in West Virginia remained in a state of flux for well over six months before, in August, FanDuel and DraftKings launched within two days of one another.