Virginia Sports Betting

Virginia legalized sports betting in April 2020 after passing Senate Bill (SB 384)and House bill (HB 896). Since legalizing gambling in the state, sportsbooks have accepted billions of dollars, making serious sums of tax revenue.

Virginia went live with sports betting officially in January 2021. There are currently no brick-and-mortar locations to place sports bets, but there are plenty of online mobile sports betting apps to choose from in Old Dominion.

Find out about local sportsbooks, betting regulations, and future plans for the sports betting industry in Virginia.

Sports Betting Rules in Virginia

• The Virginia Lottery regulates the local sports betting industry with Kevin Hall serving as the executive director.
• The lottery is responsible for issuing licenses, collecting fees, and ensuring operators follow the rules and regulations set out in state legislation.
• Sports betting revenues are taxed at a rate of 15%. These tax dollars fund research projects in state universities.
• Sports bettors must be of at least 21 years of age to place bets within the state.
• Each operator license issued costs $250,000 with an annual renewal fee of $200,000.
• You don’t have to be a resident of Virginia to bet on sports in the state.

Legal Sports Betting Options in Virginia

During the initial Virginia Lottery application process, the state received 25 applications. Yet the cap for approval was set at 12.

Retail Sportsbooks in Virginia

There are plans to construct five casinos that would offer sports betting services. The location of four of the establishments has already been decided. Also, plans to build a casino in Richmond are being ironed out.

Hard Rock CasinoBristol

Virginia Lottery

Virginia has a rich history when it comes to the lottery: it was one of the ways that the earliest settlements in Jamestown raised funds to help the colony in the 17th century.

The lottery as we know it has been available since 1988. Since 1999, all proceeds have been donated to helping K-12 public education, with more than $11 billion raised since that time. If you want to learn more about the Virginia Lottery check out these dedicated Lottery information pages.

The Path to Virginia Legalizing Sports Betting

• May 2018 – The Supreme Court rules that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 is unconstitutional, allowing Virginia to move towards legalizing sports betting.
• November 2018 – A study that was part of the SB 1126 bill passed earlier in the year is released. It reveals that betting revenues could approach over $400M by 2028.
• April 2020 – Senate Bill (SB 384) and House bill (HB 896) are passed allowing sportsbooks to apply for Virginia sports betting licenses.
• January 2021  – The first legal sports bets are taken within the state of Virginia.

Virginia Sports Franchises

There are plenty of different sports played and watched within Virginia, some of the most popular being Football and Nascar racing. Whilst there are plenty of local teams at the semi-pro and college levels, there are no professional league teams of any kind in Virginia.

Football: Virginia Tech Hokies Football

Widely considered the most talented college football team in the state, the Hokies were established in 1892 and call Lane Stadium home. This stadium boasts a max capacity of 65,000 fans and made ESPN’s “top 20 scariest places to play”.