West Virginia esports betting bill advances to Senate
West Virginia’s House of Representatives has passed Bill 4826, which will allow for sports bettors to place wagers on esports events.
Introduced in February, House Bill 4826 will expand West Virginia’s legal sports wagering market and allow consumers to bet on esports events.
The bill defines an esports event as an “electronic sport or competitive video game played as a game of skill for spectators”. Licensed sportsbooks may offer odds on any professional event that fits this category, provided it doesn't breach other rules around betting on minors.
Last week the bill was passed by the House at the third reading and introduced to the Senate. The sponsors of the bill included Moore Capito, Bennett Queen, Steve Westfall, Shawn Fluharty, Clay Riley, Daniel Linville and William Nestor.
West Virginia was one of the first US states to legalise sports betting in 2018, allowing both retail and online sports wagering within its initial market launch following the repeal of PASPA.