Legal sports betting in Virginia officially launched in January 2021. In the bill that made online legal sports betting in Virginia a reality it also had clauses for land-based casinos and retail sports betting. The land-based casinos are currently under construction where there will be retail sportsbooks, which are expected to launch in 2022 or 2023. There are now 14 online sportsbooks available in the Old Dominion State.
This article will point out all the important information about legal sports betting in Virginia. It will touch on legal and tax issues, what online sportsbooks are available, the future of online legal sports betting in Virginia, a timeline of events, answers to frequently asked questions. You will also get info on how to set up an account at a Virginia online sportsbook, so you can start to bet on your favorite sports.
All legal sports betting options in Virginia
The legal situation on Virginia sports betting
After SB 384 and HB 896 passed the Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam amended them and lawmakers approved them in April 2020, which legalized sports betting in the state. Online sports betting launched in January 2021 and retail sports betting will launch later this year or next year.
According to state law there can be up to 18 sportsbook licenses. Here is the breakdown of how the 18 licenses are doled out:
- 12 are for online only
- Five are for the land based casinos
- One for a pro team that has their headquarters in Virginia
- A license or licenses for pro team that decide to relocate to Virginia
The Washington Commanders are the team that has the state license, with FanDuel, as their headquarters are in the Old Dominion State. FanDuel was the first online sportsbook to launch on January 21, 2021 with DraftKings, BetRivers, and BetMGM joining the market only a few days later. The online sportsbooks have to pay $250,000 for a three-year license and the tax for sports betting is 15% on gross revenue.
The Virginia Lottery oversees all the sports betting in the state.
🛑 What you can’t bet on from online sportsbooks in Virginia
Virginia is one of the states that does not allow for betting on in-state college teams. So, if you want to make a bet on teams such as Virginia, Virginia Tech, or VCU you will have to do so from another state. Virginia also has restrictions on any type of college proposition nets.
Here are the restrictions on what you cannot bet on in Virginia :
- Entertainment bets such as for the Emmys and Oscars
- Political bets such as the U.S. presidential election
- Any college proposition bet
- Any bet with a college team that is located in Virginia
🟢 What you can bet on from online sportsbooks in Virginia
- NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, NCAA Baseball (no in-state college teams)
- Major Domestic Leagues, including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, MLB, MMA, UFC, etc.
- Major International Leagues, including England Premier League, Italy Serie A, Spain La Liga, etc.
- Major sports events, including NBA playoffs and finals, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup, The Masters, Olympics, etc.
- Most betting types, including spreads, moneylines, totals (over/under), parlays, futures, proposition bets (no college props), and live bets
- eSports
What is the tax situation in Virginia
In Virginia there is a 15% sports betting tax on gross revenue. The tax is the same for online and retail sports bets. Most of the money (97.5%) goes to the general fund of the stake while 2.5% goes to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund. Since sports betting launched in January 2021 the Old Dominion State has taken in nearly $27 million in sports betting taxes.
All the available sportsbooks in Virginia
- FanDuel
- DraftKings
- BetRivers
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- WynnBet
- UniBet
- Barstool Sportsbook
- Golden Nugget
- PointsBet
- Bally Bet
- Sports Illustrated Sportsbook
- BetWay
- Hard Rock Sportsbook
Forecasts about the future of online gambling in Virginia
The future is very bright for sports betting in Virginia. The state has taken in nearly $27 million in taxes since launching in January 2021 and all of that came from betting online. While there are no retail sportsbooks currently in the state with some casinos under construction the first retail sportsbook is expected to open in 2022. There are currently 14 online sportsbooks available in the state, so there can be four more and even more after that if a professional sports team relocates to the Old Dominion State.
Out of the five cities that were allowed to have land-based casinos, Richmond was the only one that decided not to have one in its city limits.
Timeline of main events in Virginia
- 2022-2023 – Retail sports betting expected to go live
February 2022 – FanDuel announces plans to have a sportsbook in the United Center home to the Chicago Bulls
- January 2021 – Online sports betting launches
- April 2020 – Sports betting legalized
- January 2019 – Virginia lawmakers begin discussion about legalizing sports betting in legislative session.
- May 2018 – The Supreme Court overturns Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which made sports betting legal on a state-by-state basis
How do I start betting online in Virginia
Virginia bettors will be happy to know that it is a very quick and easy process to start betting online. The first thing you need to do is register for an account at one of the state-licensed sportsbooks. The good thing is you have a lot of choices with 14 of them currently available in the Old Dominion State. Then the sportsbook will have to verify your identification and they will ask you for information such as your:Â
- Full name
- BirthdayÂ
- Social Security NumberÂ
- Personal verification informationÂ
If the verification process is successful you will then receive an email from the sportsbook saying so. Then you can head to the book and begin wagering on your favorite sports.
FAQs
The Virginia Lottery regulates all sports betting in the state.
Yes. Many of the same brand of sportsbooks are available in multiple states, such as DraftKings and BetMGM, and those odds will be exactly the same. For different books such as BetMGM VA and DraftKings VA the odds may be a little different but not by much at all.
One of the main differences is that Virginia does not currently offer retail sports betting. The state was one of the very few to launch online only sports betting. In VA you cannot bet on any in-state college teams and there are no college props that you can bet on. Virginia is also a state with more online sportsbooks than many other states with 14 available as of June 2022.
Yes. Sports betting was legalized after bills SB 384 and HB 896 were signed into law.
You must be 21 years old to wager on sports in Virginia.
If you are at least 21 years of age you can legally bet at any of the state-licensed online sportsbooks.
No. You do not have to be a resident of the state of Virginia to bet at a state-licensed online sportsbook, but you need to be within the state boundaries in order to make bets.
Yes. You can access your Virginia online sportsbook out of state and do such things as register for an account, check odds, contact customer service, and make deposits and withdrawals. However, in order to make bets you must be physically located in the state.