WHEELING, W.Va. — The West Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office in Charleston has confirmed the identity of the individual discovered in the Ohio River on Jan. 5 near the I-470 Bridge as 37-year-old George Zachary Lekanudos, of Wheeling.

Body found in Ohio River near I-470 bridge, cause of death unknown

The Wheeling Police Department is continuing its investigation, and the cause and manner of death have not yet been determined.

Online casino revenue has never been higher in West Virginia.

That means plenty of customers are making deposits and playing games.

But, one of the keys to being among the top online casinos in West Virginia is having reliable and secure payout methods.

Online players need to know they will be able to receive their winnings in a timely and legal fashion. While iGaming platforms often promote their deposit methods, we’re taking a closer look at the available withdrawal options.

Top WV Online Casino Payout Methods

Options for withdrawing funds from a West Virginia online casino are a little more limited than deposit options.

Online casino operators are also slower to provide a withdrawal than a deposit, as they tend to review with payout to ensure the funds are going to the right person in a secured way.

Here’s a breakdown of the available withdrawal options for WV online casino players.

Online Banking

Online casinos typically use a company like Trustly to complete secure online banking transfers to make payouts.

This method will see the winnings deposited directly into the bank account that you provide.

Thousands of banks participate in these programs, so your bank is likely covered. Withdrawals can take 24 hours for online casinos to review, then 3-5 business days for your bank to process the funds.

eCheck/ACH

Most online casinos use VIP Preferred as a banking method option. This is a way to transfer funds through an electronic check that is done through ACH (Automated Clearing House). It’s the same option many companies use for making direct deposit payments to employees.

Electronic checks take 1-2 business days to be processed.

Debit Card

Debit cards are payment cards linked directly to your bank account. Most WV online casinos accept Visa and Mastercard from customers.

In many cases, the operator will require a user to make a deposit with the debit card before accepting any withdrawals being credited to the card. Payouts using a debit card will send the funds directly to your bank account.

Transactions using a debit card should appear in under 24 hours.

Apple Pay

Apple Pay is an option that is available. It is a virtual wallet that holds debit and credit cards for customers. It is a convenient option for iPhone users that use mobile online casino platforms.

Payouts using Apple Pay are typically reflected in under 24 hours.

PayPal

PayPal is a virtual wallet that users can attach their debit cards or bank accounts to.

Online casinos require customers to have a Personal or Premier PayPal account if they are looking to use it as a payout method.

Withdrawals using PayPal take 1-2 business days to appear in your account.

Venmo

Another virtual wallet option that is owned by PayPal, Venmo links a user’s bank account and banking cards.

Just one Venmo account is allowed per customer at a given WV online casino.

Venmo withdrawals take 1-2 business days to appear in your account.

Play+

Play+ is an account that customers fund and then use those funds for various things like online gaming or online gambling.

West Virginia iGamers can fund and make deposits to their Play+ account through online casinos. In order to get a payout with your Play+ account, you must first make a deposit using the same account.

Payouts using Play+ should appear in your account in 24-48 hours.

Cash at Casino

Some online casinos will work with their retail partners for deposit and withdrawals.

Users have the option to visit the participating the retail casino location, make a cash withdrawal from their online account based on the funds they have available.

For this option, customers will need to have a valid ID photo and a transaction ID number from the online casino.

Wire Transfer

A wire transfer moves funds electronically from one account to another. However, this method is typically used for large sums or international banking.

West Virginia online casinos require large minimums in order to make a withdrawal using this method. These minimums are thousands of dollars.

Wire transfers tend to take 1-2 business days to take effect.

Check by Mail

If no other options work for you, West Virginia online casinos in most cases are willing to send you a paper check with your winnings.

Most require a certain minimum amount in order to use this method. Checks can take up to 14 business days to reach a user once sent.

Drew Ellis has experience covering the gambling industries in North America and around the world. Decades of media experience provide him with the background to handle the complexities of different gambling laws and policies around the United States and North America. Ellis has primarily focused on online and retail casino news since 2021. Prior to working in the gambling industry, Ellis spent over 20 years in the newspaper industry, covering sports and the gambling. His work for The Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun and The Oakland Press was recognized with awards by the Associated Press and other media organizations. Drew has also contributed to the Detroit Free Press and the Associated Press.