There is a legal state lottery in West Virginia. There is no online lottery available in the state. Other forms of online gambling have been legalized but there is no current legislation being pushed for an online lottery. With other online gambling allowed, there is a chance that a lottery could be made online, especially as the lottery ticket sales already bring in over $1 billion, an online lottery could boost that and give more money to the state funds.

There has been a state lottery in West Virginia since 1984. It was voted in via a voter referendum and residents can take part in a variety of games, both in-state only games and some of the most popular multi-jurisdictional games. These multi-jurisdictional games offer some of the biggest jackpots available in Lottery games however in-state games have fewer players which players believe will increase the chances of winning.

Are There Legal Online Lotteries Available in West Virginia?

The state lottery in West Virginia allows residents to partake in some of the biggest games in the country. Powerball, Mega Millions and Lotto America. All of which offer extremely lucrative jackpots and as such entice many people across the state of West Virginia to participate. Players are able to purchase tickets from over 1500 different retailers. With over $106 million having been awarded to winners in the state in 2018 there is huge encouragement for players to purchase tickets. The overall sales figures for the last year was over $1 billion.

West Virginia does not have an online lottery, there are only eight states in the United States that offer an online lottery. Unfortunately, West Virginia is not one of them and there is currently no legislation to push for one. The lack of an online lottery is not hampering the sales of lottery tickets in the state and it continues to be hugely popular with the state.

Lotto America

Lotto America began in 1988 and ran for four years, there were sixteen states originally involved in the games. It ended in 1992. There was a return of Lotto America in 2017 where it became a very popular lottery game. A play in the Lotto America costs $1 and players choose five numbers from 1 to 52 and a “star ball” between 1 and 10. The draw is carried out in Florida using a physical ball machine, one machine draws the main numbers and a separate draws the “star ball”.

Mega Millions

Mega Millions, or ‘The Big Game, as was the previous name of the game, was created in 1996. Now, it is the most played and spread lotto in the States, available in 46 locations among which are the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. The draws happen twice a week – in Tuesdays and Fridays. The lottery has a $40 million as a minimum jackpot. The largest prize won was in 2018 – 1.537 billion dollars went to one lucky player

US Powerball

Powerball was created in 1992 and since then grew to be one of the most known and played lotto games not only in the States but worldwide too. It has a minimum jackpot of $40 million and a world record as well, for the biggest cash prize ever, which was more than 1 billion and a half and it was split between three lucky players.

Lottery Regulator in West Virginia

The West Virginia lottery is regulated by the West Virginia Lottery Commission, the commission is similar to other states in that it is responsible for all thing’s lottery in the state. This includes, games available, prizes and prize collection, regulation and inspection of lottery retailers and other daily routine lottery queries. The board is made of seven members including a Director who oversees.

Famous Winners – Winning isn’t always Everything

Winning the lottery can seem like the greatest thing in the world, but it isn’t always the case. In 2002, Andrew Jack Whittaker won $315 million on the Powerball with one ticket. He was already worth over $15 million, so it could be expected that he would be prepared for wealth. Things started well with donating money to some charities, a new truck, he even gave the lottery retailer $50,000 for selling him the ticket. Things took a turn for the worse as he developed a drinking problem and became the target for thieves. Robbed on several occasions and a series of personal tragedies. He declared that he was broke in 2007 and is facing law suits for bouncing checks worth up to $1.5 million. The most important thing to remember if a lottery win makes you an instant millionaire, is not to forget who you were before you won. It is a lesson worth knowing before that jackpot changes your life.

Online Lotto Legal Age in West Virginia

Virginia has set a minimum legal age for betting, which is 18. Other states have adopted the same one, while some decided to go higher and set it at 21. Keep in mind that underage gambling is completely forbidden and operators, no matter in which state, do not make compromizes with it!

• Lottery Age
  The minimum age is 18 to play lottery in West Virginia.
• Alcohol Age
  The legal drinking age is 21 in West Virginia.
• Weed Age
  Recreational cannabis is illegal and there is no minimum age.

Is Online Lotto Legal When You Are Out of the State?

West Virginia is one of the many states which decided not to legalize online lottery. Every state has the right to change its laws, so there’s always a chance that WV may update its legislation. Several nearby states allow online lotto ticket sales. For example, you can play online lottery in MI, KY, and PA.

The Best Lottery Mobile App

In the moment that West Virginia legalizes online lotto, you will be able to play no matter where you are or what time it is. There are impeccable apps created specifically for Android and iOS which can grant you perfect experience. You need only money to make a purchase and stable internet connection.

Online Lottery Promotions to Take Advantage Of

Operators of online lottery sites offer many and very generous offers to their players, and when lotto becomes legal in WV, you will see this for yourselves. These bonuses can be either deposit matches, which means that the site will award you with, let’s say 100% of your first deposit, or they can be free tickets that you can play on certain draws. Both cases will give you a great start and there is nothing more satisfying than to save some cash before you even start playing. To learn more, read our guide to the top WV online gambling sites.

Taxes on Lotto Winnings in West Virginia

In West Virginia, if your win is more than $5000, it will be subject to federal tax rate, which is 24%. From there on, there is also a 6,5% state tax that you will have to endure. And while these might seem a bit high, keep in mind that other states actually can go higher.

Upcoming Regulation Changes for Online Lottery

West Virginia has had a strong draw lottery games since the 1980’s. Despite the lottery being so successful for such a long time, there is still little talk of an online lottery coming to the state. If there are any changes in legislation regarding this, we will keep you up to date.

West Virginia has quite the history with lottery, which dates back to 1980. And even though lotto was very successful, the state is not not legalizing the online version. This, though, might be just temporary and we will be checking the situation closely. In the moment something changes, you will be the first to know.

Lottery Guides for Nearby States

• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• Maryland