Director of West Virginia Lottery reaffirms state’s readiness for online poker operators

John Myers, the Director of the West Virginia Lottery, has publicly stated that the state is ready for online poker operators to launch, declaring, “we are ready when they are,” in an interview with Poker Industry PRO.

West Virginia was the fifth U.S. state to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement in November 2023. The agreement allows U.S. states with legalized online poker – Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey and Michigan – to share player pools and increase liquidity. Pennsylvania also has expressed its intentions to join soon.

Despite West Virginia legalizing online poker in 2019 alongside online sports betting and casinos, online poker networks have yet to launch in the state. As the state has a population of 1.8 million, sustaining a poker network for just in-state players could have be challenging.

While West Virginia online poker has been waiting more than a year for expansion since altering its rule, 2024 has been a productive year for other verticals. The gaming market in West Virginia has expanded with Oddin.gg granted a temporary license to launch in August, while Horseshoe Online Casino went live at the end of October.