| Gambling | Legal Since |
|---|---|
| Sports | Illegal |
| Daily Fantasy | Legal Since: 2016 |
| Casino | Illegal |
| Poker | Illegal |
| Lottery | Legal Since: 2019 |
Guide to Online Gambling in Virginia:The Best Virginia Gambling Sites for 2019
Virginia Daily Fantasy Sports
In 2016 Virginia signed the Fantasy Contests Act into law. The bill made Virginia the first state in the U.S. to officially allow daily fantasy sites to operate within its borders. Below, you’ll find the best Virginia daily fantasy sports sites. Each site listed is a well-known brand, has interesting welcome bonuses, and offers numerous weekly and daily contests to its players.
- Our team closely follows the Virginia General Assembly so that our site contains accurate information regarding the state’s gambling laws.
- We track gambling related developments by reading local and national news sources like the Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Washington Post.
- We have extensive experience in creating free gambling guides and operator reviews. Read our most popular articles, which are our slots and roulette pages.
- Virginia State Seal
- Washington Post
- Richmond Times-Dispatch
- Virginia Lottery
Gambling Laws in Virginia
Virginia is limited when it comes to legal gambling options. Within the state’s borders, residents won’t find casinos, racinos, card rooms, tribal casinos, or sports betting. The only types of gambling activities that are approved in the state are daily fantasy games, the lottery, and pari-mutuel horse race bets.
The ban on gambling forms extends to the online sphere as well, and as a result, there are no online gambling sites currently available in Virginia. This includes casino sites, poker sites, and online sportsbooks.
Although VA is quite strict when it comes to gambling, recent developments suggest there may be a shakeup with regards to the state’s gambling laws. At the beginning of 2019, The Washington Post reported that the VA Senate passed a bill, which could put five cities on track to getting a casino license.
Virginia Online Sports Betting
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned PAPSA, which was an old decision that outlawed sports betting in many states. As a result, individual state can choose whether or not they will allow the activity. Unfortunately, Virginia does not yet have any legal avenues for online sports betting. Residents will have to travel to nearby states like New Jersey to place sports bets. There are currently no Virginia online sports books.
Virginia Online Casinos
As I stated earlier on this page, there are rumblings that casino gambling may finally be legalized in Virginia, however, this can ultimately take some time to come to fruition. Because casino gaming is currently not legal in the state, you will not find any Virginia online casino sites. Any operators that accept Virginians are not to be trusted.
Online Poker in Virginia
Poker fans in VA suffer the same fate as casino fans. Currently it is not legal to play poker in the state of Virginia. Although many argue that poker is a game of skill rather than chance, only time will tell if this makes the state legislatures change their minds. For now, we cannot recommend any online poker sites for Virginia residents.
Virginia State Lottery
The Virginia lottery has been in operation for over thirty years. Like many state lotteries, the Virginia Lotto was established, and is used to raise money for the state’s K-12 public school system. The Virginia Lottery generates nearly $1.6 million per day for the state’s schools. Although the state is one of the more restrictive when it comes to online playing options, VA residents can play the Virginia Lottery online. The online games available include the Mega Millions, Powerball, and Cash 4 Life jackpots. You must be a VA resident to play online, and the minimum deposit is $20. Online play has its benefits, because players have access to unique welcome offers that come in the form of free games. To find out more, visit the official site of the state lottery.
History of Gambling in Virginia
The early history of gambling in Virginia is filled with restriction. In 1973 Charitable Gambling was finally approved, which lead to the establishment of the Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs, which is in charge of enforcing regulations. The Lottery was launched in 1988 and continues to this day. Horse racing is legal in the state, but there are currently no open horse racing tracks, although Colonial Downs is set to re-open in the future. In 2016, the state granted licenses for several daily fantasy sports websites, and was the first state to legalize and regulate this form of gambling. In terms of casino gambling, many residents of Virginia get the impression that players will be able to finally place their first casino bets in 2020, however we don’t know if this will ever extend to internet casinos. Below, you will find some important dates for the state’s gambling history.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1973 | Charitable gambling is allowed in the state. |
| 1987-88 | State lottery launces in 1988. |
| 1989 | The Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) is created to oversee horse race betting. |
| 1997 | Colonial Downs racecourse officially opens. |
| 2000 | State decides that lottery funds must go towards the state’s education system. |
| 2003 | VRC is allowed to expand to accept off-track bets. |
| 2016 | Virginia becomes the first state to legalize daily fantasy sports contests. |
Virginia State Facts
Virginia is one of the most well-known states in the Union. Many famous Americans have called the state their home. Well-known residents include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee and Moses Malone among others. Although Virginia’s wild pony swim may suggest a state with a rich history of horse racing, this is not the case. Below are some facts about the state’s gambling and economic situation, which can help you contextualize what is going on in the state.
| Population | 8,517,685 |
|---|---|
| Min. Income | $1,256.67 |
| Biggest Offline Gambling Location | N/A |
| Gambling Commissioner | N/A |
| Spoken Languages | English 86%, Spanish 6% Other 8% |
| Biggest Local Sports Team | Norfolk Admirals |
| Virginia Tax Authority | https://www.tax.virginia.gov/ |
| Link to the State Law | https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/ |
| Gambling Winning Tax | 4% |
| State Website Link | https://www.virginia.gov/ |
| Famous Local Gamblers | Justin Bonomo |
Gambling Age in Virginia
Currently, the only legal forms of gambling in the state are daily fantasy sports and the Virginia State Lottery. The legal age for one to play such games is 18 years of age or older. Below you can see a chart of the other important age laws in the state.
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Online Gambling Age:
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Alcohol Age
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Weed Age
Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention
Any state that allows its residents to legally gambling should take addition prevention and problem gambling seriously. In Virginia, you have a few places you can turn to if you think you have, or are developing, problem behavior. Perhaps the best place to turn to is the website of the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling, which offers similar help to that of national agencies, but its help is tailored to Virginia residents and their needs. On the site you’ll find helpful resources, helplines, emails, and more.
Upcoming Regulation and Expected Changes
Legislation can take a while to change, but the passage of a new casino bill through the senate has many believing that VA residents will be able to get their first taste of casino action by 2020. The same casino bill, introduced by Senator Louise Lucas, would allow the state’s first land-based casinos. However, my team and I imagine it will still be a long time before you can legally gamble online in the state. Check out our guides for other nearby states for some more gambling options. Note that you must be within state territory, to partake in its gambling activities even if the activities are online.