West Virginia blackjack players can play in-person at five different casinos. But state law dictates that you need to be a “guest” to place bets at some of the historic locations. This is according to chapter 29, article 25, section 24 of West Virginia Code.
But simply dining at a restaurant or taking a tour might qualify depending on the casino. If you’re not planning on becoming an overnight guest but would like to play blackjack, we recommend checking the specific casino website or contacting them ahead of time.
Alternatively, you can play blackjack online. As of July 2020, playing casino gaming sites are also available to those located in West Virginia. Right now, DraftKings Casino is the only option as part of its partnership with Hollywood Casino at Charlestown Races. But more are on the horizon.
How To Play Real Money Blackjack Online In West Virginia
Online gambling in West Virginia was officially legalized in March 2019. But it wasn’t until April 2020 that the West Virginia Lottery Commission approved rules and regulations around online casinos. Then it took another few months for DraftKings Casino and all its games to be approved.
Blackjack At DraftKings Casino West Virginia
As of July 15, 2020, DraftKings Casino is available to adults over 21 located in the State of West Virginia. And their real-money online blackjack selection is exceptional.
At the DraftKings Casino, you can play standard blackjack across a range of sports and entertainment related themes, such as football, basketball, retro video games, and Christmas. You can also find single-deck 3:2 blackjack with a $1 minimum bet, which offers phenomenal odds.
All around, this is a five-star option for playing real-money online blackjack. Even the fluidity of the animation and graphics is extraordinarily high quality, and that extends to both the desktop and mobile versions of the DraftKings Casino.
Start Playing Blackjack Online Today At DraftKings Casino.
Types Of Blackjack Bonuses In West Virginia
The DraftKings Casino won’t be the only option for long, so blackjack players will have a nice variety of bonus offers in the near future. Here’s what to expect:
Important Bonus Stipulations
It’s important to read the terms and conditions of each bonus. A playthrough (or rollover) requirement means you need to bet the bonus amount a certain number of times before you can withdraw any winnings.
For example, a $200 bonus with a 5x playthrough requirement means you need to bet $1,000 before you can withdraw.
That sounds steep, but that’s around 100 hands of $10 blackjack, which isn’t insurmountable for most players, since you’ll presumably be both winning and losing as you play.
No Deposit Bonus
A no deposit bonus is exactly how it sounds. You receive an amount of bonus money without needing to make a deposit. Usually the requirement is simply to create an account.
Deposit Bonuses
A deposit bonus is where the casino matches your deposit by a certain percentage up to maximum amount. A good example would be a 25% bonus up to $500. If you claim the bonus and deposit $100, you’d receive an extra $25 in bonus cash.
How To Find Live Dealer Blackjack In West Virginia
The DraftKings Casino offers a nice selection of live dealer blackjack rooms.
This is a relatively new online casino option where real-life dealers deal physical cards on a live stream. Players can take the seats or bet in the background. The dealer will interact in a similar fashion to being at an in-person casino, including a chat box and an option to tip.
While the digital blackjack options at the DraftKings Casino are topnotch, the live dealer blackjack rooms are the most immersive way to play at an online casino. Short of drink service, it’s tantamount to the real thing.
Legal Online Blackjack Sites Versus Illegal Sites In West Virginia
If you’re a blackjack player and you’re located in West Virginia, there’s no reason to play at an illegal site. You won’t find better options than you will at DraftKings Casino in terms of odds, quality, accessibility, or variety. They even offer live dealer blackjack.
The only feasible reason you’d consider joining an offshore online casino is for the bonus offers. But don’t forget about the terms and conditions.
Even if the illegal site is legitimate, there’s a good chance the playthrough requirements are 25x or higher. Playing blackjack may not even count toward the playthrough, and only slots qualify.
Your best bet is to stick to the legal sites.
Sweepstakes Casinos In West Virginia
Don’t let the option to play real money blackjack prevent you from trying sweepstakes blackjack. While winning cash prizes is a bit less straightforward, it’s a legitimate (and totally legal) way to win money online by playing blackjack.
Instead of playing with dollars, you play with Sweeps Coins that can then be redeemed for a cash prize or gift card, your choice. The reason you would choose a gift card is that the redemption minimum is lower than the cash prize.
Online Sweepstakes Casinos In West Virginia
The two sweepstakes sites that offer blackjack are Chumba Casino and Global Poker. Because they’re owned by the same parent company, their structure is practically identical.
At both sites, you receive Sweeps Coins (which can be redeemed for cash prizes) by purchasing Gold Coins (which are only for fun play). You can also receive Sweeps Coins (SC) by mailing in a request through the postal service, logging in regularly, opting in to social media contests, and a few other ways. But mainly, you buy Gold Coins, and SC are included as a bonus.
Assuming you join both sites, you’ll have three sweepstakes blackjack options: Chumba Blackjack, Classic Blackjack, and Premium Blackjack.
For the best odds but high SC minimum requirements, play Premium Blackjack at Global Poker.
For SC 1.00 blackjack, you can play the other two, which both feature 3:2 blackjack.
How Does Sweepstakes Blackjack Work?
Winning cash prizes at sweepstakes blackjack is a three-step process:
- Join Chumba Casino or Global Poker
- Use your free introductory SC or purchase more
- Play using all SC at least once
If you have net winnings that meet the minimum redemption requirements, you can then redeem the remaining SC for a gift card or cash prize.
At Chumba Casino, you need at least SC 10 to redeem a gift card, and SC 100 to redeem a cash prize.
At Global Poker, a gift card can be redeemed with SC 10, and a cash prize only requires SC 50.
If after you follow the steps above and do not have enough to redeem for a prize, you can obtain more SC and play through it to try again.
If you enjoy playing other casino games beyond blackjack, both sites have additional games. However, Global Poker only has two other games, and they’re both slots. Chumba Casino has dozens of slots as well as two versions of American roulette.
If you like playing online poker, Global Poker has one of the largest player pools in the world. You can find tournaments with massive cash prize potential. The same is true for Chumba Casino’s huge progressive jackpots.
West Virginia Casinos With Blackjack
All West Virginia casinos are also a hotel and racetrack, which is often shortened to simply “racino resort.” They also all offer blackjack. Here’s a complete list:
| Live Casino | Number of Table Games | City | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack | 43 | Wheeling | 1866 |
| The Casino Club at The Greenbrier | 37 | Greenbrier | 1913 |
| Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races | 74 | Charles Town | 1933 |
| Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort | 36 | Chester | 1951 |
| Mardi Gras Casino and Resort | 30 | Nitro | 1985 |
Best Blackjack Casinos In West Virginia
Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races
The excellent customer service at Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races is one of their most standout qualities. The other most notable aspect: they have more table games than any other casino in West Virginia.
On top of the several blackjack tables, you can also bet on sports, other table games like roulette, and play poker. Hollywood Casino also offers over 2,200 slot machines, which competes with some of the biggest casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack
Situated on an island in the middle of the Ohio River, the Wheeling Island Hotel Casino and Racetrack is a popular destination for West Virginians as well as folks in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and DC.
On top of the 43 table games, most of which are blackjack, you can also play their more than 1,100 slots as well as poker. They also have smoking and nonsmoking sections.
While it’s worthwhile to visit Wheeling Island for a single evening of blackjack, this is an experience that players usually enjoy for a couple of nights at a time.
Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack And Resort
The blackjack dealers at the Mountaineer are famously fun and friendly. If you’re unsure about what your next move should be, they’ll tell you based on the strategy chart. If you ask to hit on an 18, they’ll ask if you’re sure. And the servers are also friendly and on top of every order.
Otherwise, this is a pretty standard casino floor. They too have over 1,100 slots as well as sports betting and poker rooms.
West Virginia Blackjack Rules
West Virginia casinos follow the standard Atlantic City blackjack rules. This means they’ll stand on 17, and blackjack pays out 3:2.
You can also double down on any two-card hand and split any pair. You can also double down after a split, but most casinos don’t let you resplit. And they’ll deal you only one card on each split ace.
If you find a $5 table, it may be 6:5 blackjack or a hit on 17 rule. But normally, the AC rules apply.
Types Of Blackjack Games In West Virginia
The different types of blackjack games in West Virginia are generally limited to the odds and stakes. Typically, the lower the table minimum, the worse the odds for the player. And, by that same token, the higher the table minimum, the better the odds.
For example, a single-deck blackjack game at a land-based casino will likely have a $25 or higher table minimum. Meanwhile, a $5 6-deck game will likely have 6:5 blackjack, dealer hitting on 17, or both.
You may also come across 21+3 blackjack, which takes side bets that the dealer’s showing card and your two cards create a poker hand, such as a flush or three of a kind.
History Of Blackjack In West Virginia
West Virginia has a long history of horse and greyhound racing. At these tracks, people could place pari-mutuel wagers on the contests, and the practice is still a popular way to gamble across the state.
In 1994, laws were passed that allowed these racetracks to add casino games and become racinos. Many did exactly that, and there are currently five racinos operating in West Virginia today.
In 2018, sports betting was legalized and introduced in the racinos as well as online.
In April 2020, official rules were introduced and approved by the West Virginia Lottery Commission to legalize online casinos, and online poker will join the betting options as soon as later 2020 or early 2021.
Playing Blackjack In West Virginia FAQ
21. You cannot enter a casino floor unless you have a valid ID that shows you’re at least 21 and up.
This is a universal rule across all five racinos. This applies to both online casinos and brick-and-mortar establishments.
You can get into the resort and most areas no matter your age. But to get into the bars or the casino gaming areas, you need to be at least 21.
Yes. As long as you play at a legal online casino licensed in West Virginia, it’s safe to play online blackjack with real money.
These sites cannot offer games unless they’re approved by the West Virginia Lottery Commission, which audits it for fairness and randomness. The legal online casinos also utilize state-of-the-art encryption to protect your personal information and finances.
The only way playing real-money online blackjack would be unsafe is if the player is at risk of gambling addiction or playing more than they can afford to lose. Visit the National Council on Problem Gambling website for additional information.
No. The online blackjack games at legal West Virginia online casinos mirror the real thing in terms of odds and randomness.
The casino does not control the results of the games. Instead, a random number generator (RNG) determines each hand to ensure consistent fairness and zero chance of rigging. They’re also routinely audited to ensure this doesn’t change.
Of course, just like blackjack at land-based casinos, the house has a slight advantage over the player. If you were to play long enough, it’s mathematically certain that you would eventually lose all your money, which is why setting strict limits for yourself is the only way to gamble responsibly.
Yes. The DraftKings Casino live dealer blackjack is available to adults over 21 located in West Virginia. They offer both daytime and late-night live streams, so you can usually find a seat at a live dealer blackjack table both day and night at DraftKings from West Virginia.
Yes. You can play online blackjack for free in West Virginia. Free online blackjack utilizes demo credits so people can practice in preparation for the real thing. Learn how to play free blackjack here.
24/7. Unlike online poker, there’s no good or bad time to play blackjack online.
Because it’s simply you against the house, other players don’t make a difference. This is especially true given the fact that all six decks in the shoe are shuffled between each hand, so card counting is impossible.
However, if you’re playing live dealer blackjack, peak hours will be between 6 PM to 10 PM. Live dealer games do not shuffle every deck between each hand, and other players can mean a more lively player chat.
