While there has been some progress made on legal gambling in the state, Virginia remains with no new gambling options. The political powers do not seem able to agree on the issue with some staunchly for it and others staunchly opposed. There is legislation waiting for approval but only time will tell if we’ll see any online sportsbooks in Virginia anytime soon. By 2020 maybe?
Casino gambling has also long been illegal in the state of Virginia and now finds itself in the same boat as sports betting. Some are strongly for it and have put everything in place to allow casinos to operate in the state. However, other lawmakers remain strongly against any legal wagering expansion and are fighting to keep Virginia free of all casinos.
In 2011, Virginia went all-in by denying all forms of online casino gambling and this included poker. As of today, it is illegal to operate an online poker website in the state, but not illegal to play at one. For this reason, Virginia, like so many other states, finds its only online poker option to beat the unregulated off-shore sites.
Virginia may not have many legal gambling opportunities but the lottery has been a popular option since 1989. Complete with all the major league brands such as Mega Millions and Powerball, the Virginia lottery offers drawings and scratch off just as so many other states.
The state of Virginia legalized daily fantasy sports wagering back in 2016. The Fantasy Contests Act was signed into law by Governor Terry McAuliffe in February of that year and does a great job of protecting consumers and bringing oversight to the entire industry. The bill requires from operators pay a $50,000 registration fee, prevent anyone under 18 from participating, prevent employees from competing in real money contests and sharing confidential information and provide a self-exclusion mechanism for customers.
The live horse racing industry has been struggling for decades in Virginia and its only major track, Colonial Downs, is constantly opening and closing, year in and year out. That said, there still remain several OTB’s operating in the state. Also, wagering on horse racing betting online is completely legal in Virginia at any licensed site such as BetAmerica or TwinSpires.
10 Biggest cities in Virginia for online gambling: