Author:

Richard Miller

Last Updated:

April 25, 2021

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This author was thoroughly tested and approved by the experts at BettingBilly.com before joining the editorial board to ensure a high content quality.

Author Bio:

 

Richard was Marketing Manager at a global bookmaker and worked in the enterntainment sector for decades before working his way up in the world of entrepreneurs. His focus areas are mainly in the fields of sports and politics. He has a Science Degree, visited Harvard University and is now our hardworking Editor-in-Chief at BettingBilly.

Richard was Marketing Manager at a global bookmaker and worked in the enterntainment sector for decades before working his way up in the world of entrepreneurs. His focus areas are mainly in the fields of sports and politics. He has a Science Degree, visited Harvard University and is now our hardworking Editor-in-Chief at BettingBilly.

Virginia Online Sports Betting in 2021

While numerous states across the USA have already legalized both retail and online sports betting, Virginia took a little bit longer than some to finalize the legislation process. After over a year of study and legislation, the state Representatives and Governor Ralph Northam finally signed the bill into power in April 2020. However, the official launch for Virginia sports betting has not yet been announced with December 2020 being mentioned as the earliest possible launch date for online sports gambling.

The Virginia sports betting bill that was signed in April 2020 approved sports betting in the state, but only covered the online betting aspect of the equation. When it comes to live betting, only a potential sportsbook at a yet unbuilt major stadium in Virginia is explicitly mentioned within the bill, while live casinos will not be able to open sportsbooks on their premises.

The bill did however allow for opening of five potential live casinos within Virginia as well, which may end up taking five of the maximum 12 sports betting licenses that are allowed under the new law. Regardless of when these casinos come to be built, they will not be allowed to run retail sports betting, unless the law is further amended in the future.

In-stadium betting which is included in the bill will allow players to bet before and during matches, but it is not yet clear when this stadium may be build or whether it will happen. The option was left at the request of some NFL clubs which may want to build stadiums in the future.

Unlike retail sports betting which was not defined in the bill, online sports betting in Virginia is very well defined by the new law. The bill defines that anywhere between 5 and 12 online sports betting operators may be licensed within the state, with any sports betting operator able to apply for one, regardless of any affiliations with live casinos. The license will cost USD 250.000, with additional fees for background checks of the key members of the operator’s administrations.

While the bill itself was finalized in April 2020, the actual launch date for the first Virginia sports betting apps has not yet been announced. Unofficially, the first apps should launch in December 2020 and some of the familiar names such as DraftKings and William Hill were mentioned as the potential candidates for the first licenses.

When it comes to restrictions in terms of who will be able to bet on Virginia sports betting sites, the only restrictions are related to the age and location of the bettors. The official Virginia sports betting age is 21, which means no minors will be able to bet. Aside from that, every bettor will have to be located within the state borders in order to be able to access the betting apps.

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When online sports betting in Virginia was first legalized, the main focus was on mobile betting apps. The study that was done in 2019 showed that the vast majority of potential bettors wanted mobile options above all others. It was for that reason that the bill was mainly oriented on mobile betting.

The plan for now is that Virginia will have anywhere between 5 and 12 online betting apps in the early days, with the first licenses likely to go live in late 2020 and early 2021.Once they are launched, all adults who find themselves within the Virginia borders will be able to download the apps to their phones and tablets and place bets on the go. At this time, it is likely that the early apps will launch for both iOS and Android powered devices.

While Virginia is not exactly a small state, in the current setting it does not have any major sports teams. The reason for this is that all the major teams in the area are situated within the Washington D.C. area on the very north of Virginia, which is a district and technically does not belong to the state.

That said, sports fans in Virginia are numerous and they are mostly crazy about the big Washington teams. The three time NFL champions, Washington Redskins are certainly the most popular of all the sports teams in the state, especially in the northern parts. The great support for the Redskins is likely to lead to NFL betting being the most popular form of betting in the state, as it is in most others.

Apart from the Redskins, several other Washington outfits are also very popular in Virginia. These include The Washington Wizards and the Washington Nationals, representing the area in the NBA and MLB respectively. While these two teams are far from the best in their competitions, they are staple names and as local teams they always have a lot of support in the Virginia area.

When it comes to college sports, Virginia is not doing too great either, but support for local college teams always exists. However, with the local laws restricting college sports betting when local teams are playing, this will not play a role in the way sports betting in this state will develop.

The Virginia sports betting laws were deliberated for a long time and they are fairly particular about what players can and cannot bet on. When it comes to professional sports, there are not too many restrictions as the bill mentions some of the most popular sports and leagues in America by name.

This means that NFL betting, NHL betting, NBA betting and all other professional leagues in the USA will be available in the Virginia based bookies once they open their doors. Internationally, football leagues like the EPL, La Liga and the Champions League will all also be on the rosters. It is not yet clear how well other minor European and international leagues and sports will be covered in the state.

Moving on to college sports, Virginia will also be taking a reasonably liberal approach. College leagues such as the NCAA will be available, apart from betting on local teams. This means players will only be able to bet on colleges from outside the state, while local teams will not be available in order to avoid potential corruption in the process. Players will not be able to bet on any game in which a local college team is playing.

Finally, legal sports betting in Virginia will not include any high school or other amateur sports matches and competitions, which is a fair and reasonable restriction to say the least. By not offering amateur sports for betting, bookmakers help keep these sports pure and make sure that young sportsmen are not lured into throwing matches early in their careers.

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Historically speaking, Virginia has not exactly been a hotbed for gambling, with the state not allowing any legal gambling until the late 20^th century. Before that, there was some illegal gambling happening in back rooms and private games, but no mass scale gambling was ever available.

The first form of legal gambling in the state was charitable gambling, like in many other states. Charitable gambling was legalized in 1973 and games like bingo, network bingo and poker can all be organized under the laws on charitable gambling, with even with a low taxation rate, these gambling forms bring in some USD 265 Million in taxes to the state each year.

In 1988, the Virginia State Lottery was founded and the Virginia Lottery Board was set up to supervise it. To date, the Lottery has opened over 5.000 retail locations and now offers many different games, including the likes of Powerball and Mega Millions as well as instant win games in the form of scratch cards.

Just a year after the Lottery started to operate in Virginia, horse race betting was also legalized. The Colonial Downs track has been the center of this form of gambling in the state, with various off site satellites also offering betting on races happening there.

When the Supreme Court finally repealed the controversial PASPA, Virginia sports betting legislation started to move in the right direction as well. However, it took the state a long time to finally pass the bill, with SB 384 finally becoming a law in 2020 and first online and retail bookmakers set to start operating at the end of the year.

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Conclusion: Enjoy Virginia Sports Betting

With legislation finally passing in 2020 to make sports betting legal in the state, Virginia becomes the next potential hotbed of live and online sports betting. The first mobile apps for sports betting in Virginia are coming in late 2020, and players who sign up first are likely to get the best bonuses and special offers. Make sure to download the apps early and create your account to get the best odds and the most value for your online betting in the early days.

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