On Wednesday, March 27, lawmakers in Charleston legalized iGaming, opening the market for online poker and casino games to players 21 and older inside state borders.

Online wagers in the Mountain State won’t launch immediately; West Virginia’s five land-based properties must first line up for the five available iGaming licenses, then pony up licensing fees of $250,000 each for the first five years, and finally, form partnerships with iGaming providers.

If history is a judge, implementation may take some time. WV legalized sports betting in March 2018, but the first sports book didn’t open until last August, and mobile sports betting didn’t get off the ground until December.

Pundits say it could be 2020 before iGaming is up and running in WV.

There are currently five bricks-and-mortar casinos in West Virginia:

• Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Ranson
• Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in New Cumberland
• The Casino Club at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs
• Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Cross Lanes
• Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack in Wheeling

Check iGamingPlayer.com for more on this breaking news story.