Virginia Online Sports Betting in 2021
Sports Betting in Virginia: Legal 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.
Land-based Betting Operators & Racetracks in Virginia 2021
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 the 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.
Online Betting in Virginia 2021
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.
Mobile Sports Betting in Virginia 2021
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 toward mobile betting.
The plan is that Virginia will have anywhere between 5 and 12 online betting apps in the early days. The first licenses went live in late 2020 and early 2021. All adults who find themselves within the Virginia borders are able to download the apps to their phones and tablets and place bets on the go. At this time, it is likely that there are more apps to launch for both iOS and Android-powered devices.
Virginia Betting Site List: Legal Sportsbooks in Virginia 2021
| Operator | Landbased Partner |
|---|---|
| BetMGM | Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa |
| BetRivers | Rivers Casino |
| Caesars Sportsbook | Bally's Atlantic City |
| Unibet | Hard Rock Hotel & Casino |
| William Hill | Monmouth Park & Ocean Resort Casino |
| WynnBET | N/A |
Favorite Sports and Teams in Virginia
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 stapled 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.
What you Can and Can’t Bet on in Virginia
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. The same regulations actually apply in all states, just as they do in pioneer New Jersey or states like Arizona and Wyoming.
Gambling in Virginia: Since when is it legal to Bet
Historically speaking, Virginia has not exactly been a hotbed for gambling, with the state not allowing any legal gambling until the late 20th 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.
Gambling Guide
Yes! The state of Virginia adopted a sports betting bill in mid-2020 with the first legal bookmakers set to start operating later in the year. Under the VA sports betting laws, both retail and online/mobile sports betting will be allowed and organized under the same licenses, which will be issued to live casinos and other operators.
Sports betting used to be illegal in Virginia until very recently, when the state Houses adopted a betting bill and the Governor signed it into law. Now, players will be able to legally bet with a select number of licensed bookmakers, but not with other international or offshore betting sites.
Up to 12 sports betting licenses will be up for grabs in Virginia, with 5 of them likely going to local live casinos. Other licenses may be issued to betting operators from abroad who have experience with offering online and mobile betting, but it is not yet clear which sites will be licensed.
According to local and federal gambling laws, a person must be 21 years of age before they can legally gamble. This also goes for legal sports betting in Virginia, which will be allowed to all players over this legal age, whether they live in the state or are visiting from other states or abroad.
Mobile sports betting is included in the VA sports betting laws, which means you will be able to bet online and on your mobile device. However, the exact launch date for the first betting apps in this state has not yet been announced and it remains to be seen which operators will offer these services.
Yes! Live or in-play sports betting is also included in the betting bill and will be offered in retail and mobile betting sites. The bookmakers like WynnBET will have to use official stats to settle all live bets and these will be shared by all bookmakers in the state, meaning the process will be very clear and transparent.
All legal sports betting in Virginia will be overseen by the Virginia State Lottery, which has a long history of keeping players safe and being very transparent. With this oversight in place, players can be sure that all bets will be settled and wins paid in a reasonable timeframe and a fair fashion.
In Virginia, players will be able to place bets on a wide range of sporting leagues and events. This includes all professional sports and competitions like NHL, NFL, NBA and even NASCAR as well as various international sporting events.
College sports betting in VA is available but limited. According to the 2020 law, players can place bets on college matches, but not when local teams are playing. This means you will still be able to bet on most college games, just not the ones where teams from within the state are involved.
In Virginia, players can play casino games in a limited way, poker and bingo in charitable gambling facilities and bet on sports in retail and online locations. While online betting in Virginia is available, online casinos and online poker have not yet been legalized and there is no indication they will be in the coming months.
