Casino giant Caesars Entertainment has launched its Horseshoe Casino in West Virginia. The online casino was already available in Michigan and Pennsylvania and it plans to expand to New Jersey and Ontario in the coming months, although it does depend on regulatory approval. There are currently around 10 online casinos licensed to operate in the state of West Virginia, although regulatory approval may lead to more, and players can use out-of-state sites.

Online casinos were legalized in West Virginia in 2019 and the first sites launched in 2020. Today, ten casinos offer a wide range of games to online players, but there are also offshore sites for poker players and casino gamblers, which some players feel offer more options. According to casino and poker expert Daniel Smyth, poker players can benefit from generous bonuses, and because many of the sites offer crypto payments, they have proven popular with those who live in areas where gambling is restricted.

To compete with offshore offerings, Caesars has said that it will continue to put player enjoyment at the fore of its offerings. The site will provide games including roulette, blackjack, poker, and more. The entertainment company has promised slots with big prizes as well as progressive jackpots. And players can access the Caesars Rewards Credit program that gives them credits for use at Caesars’ 50 destinations across the US.

Offline gambling is also legal in the state. There are five registered racinos, which are casinos that also feature racing tracks, although one is restricted to guests at the hotel it is connected to.

West Virginia has also seen new gambling options open up to players, in the form of iPlay. iPlay is a mobile app that can be downloaded on smartphones and used to buy lottery tickets and instants. The instants can be played directly on the user’s phone, and the app means players can take part in the lottery draw without having to leave their homes.

In 2023, West Virginia’s online casinos brought in around $15 million in revenue a month. In 2022, total online gambling raised nearly $50 million in revenue and almost $5 million in tax from a total handle of more than half a billion dollars. However, the lottery continues to dominate the state’s gambling figures, with sales exceeding more than $1 billion a year. This includes all the games offered by the lottery, such as racetrack video lotteries and other video lotteries.

The launch of the lottery’s new mobile app may see this figure increase further, while the introduction of Caesar’s Horseshoe Online Casino will improve iGaming figures too. Under current rules, the state allows each of the five physical casinos one online wagering license, although one license allows for the different online casino skins, which means a total of 15 online casinos could be established.

Caesars has leveraged its partnership with Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians to launch its new casino and its six casinos are the most licensed casinos of any operator in the US at the current time.