Virginia Sports Betting

Online sports betting is legal in Virginia, and numerous sportsbook brands are licensed to serve customers located within the Commonwealth.

Additionally, licensed Virginia casinos may operate retail sportsbooks.

Virginia online sports betting began in early 2021, and the state’s first retail sportsbook opened in mid-2022.

Licensed Virginia sports betting sites accept customers 21 or older and must comply with consumer protection regulations adopted by the Lottery Board.

Other Virginia online betting options include horse racing betting and daily fantasy sports (DFS). Both activities are legal and regulated by the state. Read on for a complete list of Virginia sportsbooks, new customer betting bonuses, and legal updates.

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Virginia Online Sports Betting Apps

The first Virginia betting apps opened in January 2021. FanDuel Sportsbook was the first to launch in Virginia. DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers, and others followed suit shortly after.

Virginia law requires the state to issue between 4 and 12 online sports betting licenses. However, that number is deceiving because Virginia sports betting apps launched in conjunction with future retail casinos and professional sports leagues do not count toward the 12-license cap.

As a result, Virginia can support as many as 17 online sports betting apps, and possibly a couple more.

The following sports betting apps are now available in Virginia:

The Virginia Lottery Board is responsible for regulating sports betting, issuing licenses, and giving the final approval for online sportsbooks to go live.

Virginia differs from most states with legal sports betting in that it does not require sportsbooks to partner with local casinos or race tracks.

Under state law, the Lottery Board may also approve a limited number of standalone online sportsbooks.

Casinos, professional sports franchises, the operators of major league facilities, and two NASCAR race tracks may also apply for Virginia online sports betting licenses.

Virginia Sports Betting Bonuses

Licensed Virginia betting sites and online sportsbooks offer welcome bonuses to encourage new users to sign up, deposit, and place wagers.

The best Virginia sports betting bonuses tend to take one of several forms:

  • Bonus bets: Bonus bets allow users to place a bet with their own money; if the wager loses, the sportsbook refunds it with an equal amount in bonus funds or bet credits.
  • First deposit match offers: First deposit promotions give customers bonus money in return for funding their accounts
  • First bet match: Similar to a deposit match, except the bet is matched to a bettor’s first wager, and not their first deposit. They also tend to be easier to clear, as any matched bet winnings automatically convert to cash.

Virginia Sports Betting Promotion Regulations

State law does not directly address Virginia betting bonuses, but certain provisions in the law prevent operators from offering misleading promotions.

For example, Virginia’s sports betting law allows the Lottery Director to deny operators’ license renewals if they “lack good character, honesty, or integrity.”

Additionally, Virginia’s sports betting rules require operators to advertise responsibly. VA Code §58.1-4034 (E) states:

In advertising its sports betting operations, a permit holder shall ensure that its advertisements:

1. Do not target person under the age of 21;

2. Disclose the identity of the permit holder;

3. Provide information about or links to resources related to gambling addiction; and

4. Are not misleading to a reasonable person

Virginia Sports Betting Locations

  • Fanatics Sportsbook at Northwest Stadium
  • Hard Rock Sportsbook Bristol
  • Caesars Sportsbook Danville
  • BetRivers Sportsbook at Rivers Casino Portsmouth

Virginia Sports Betting Law

The Virginia gambling landscape changed dramatically in early 2020 with the passage of two gaming bills authorizing online sports betting, retail sportsbooks, and the construction of up to five casinos.

SB 384 permits up to twelve standalone online sportsbooks and allows casinos, professional sports venues, and the state’s two NASCAR race tracks to launch online betting platforms.

Virginia casinos may also apply for licenses to offer retail sports betting on their premises.

The Virginia Lottery regulates the Commonwealth’s online sports betting industry.

However, unlike other lottery-run sports betting operations, Virginia is a relatively open market.

Additionally, a reasonable tax rate allows operators to offer generous promotions, competitive betting lines, and appealing sign-up packages.

Virginia sportsbooks are subject to a 15% tax on adjusted gross revenue and a licensing fee of $250,000 plus $50,000 for every principal who controls a 5% or greater stake in the organization.

However, the effective tax rate is materially lower, as sportsbook operators are permitted to deduct expenses related to bettor acquisitions for the first 12 months of operation.

State law previously allowed operators to deduct promotional expenses indefinitely, but lawmakers approved additional language through the state budget in 2022 to limit sportsbooks to one year of deductions.

Legal sports betting in Virginia raised more than $20 million in tax revenue in its first year, off of more than $3.2 billion in total wagering handle, and both numbers have grown every year since.

Key things To Know About Sports Betting In Virginia:

  • Online sports betting in Virginia began on Thursday, January 21st, 2021
  • The minimum age to participate is 21
  • Sportsbooks in Virginia may accept wagers on professional and college sports, the Olympics, and esports
  • Virginia sportsbooks may not accept wagers on games involving in-state college teams, prop bets on individual college athletes, wagers on any type of injury, or wagers on officiating calls
  • Virginia sports bettors may register and deposit from anywhere but must be located within state lines to place wagers

Later, Virginia passed additional legislation with an unusually narrow scope: banning the phrase “Virginia is for Bettors” in marketing.

State Senator Tommy Norment introduced the bill after hearing an ad on the radio using the phrase.

“Frankly, it annoyed me,” he told a Senate subcommittee. “We’ve spent a lifetime trying to market ‘Virginia is for Lovers.’ I just felt it was trespassing on it.”

The bill instituted a $50,000 fine for using the now-prohibited phrase in advertising.

How Virginia Launched Sports Betting

The launch of the first VA mobile sports betting apps was a multi-part process. It began with the Lottery Board approving additional regulations in September 2020 to implement the new sports betting law.

One month later, the Board began accepting license applications from operators interested in offering sports betting in Virginia.

The Board received licensing requests from 25 operators during the initial application period and had 90 days to decide on each request.

In January 2021, the Board began issuing go-live authorizations to online sportsbook operators, beginning with FanDuel.

Virginia Sports Betting Regulations

Regulations approved by the Lottery Board detail the types of betting deposit methods VA mobile sportsbooks may accept:

  • Debit and credit card
  • Electronic bank transfers
  • Online and mobile payment systems
  • Winnings, payouts, bonuses, and promotions
  • Reloadable prepaid cards issued directly to customers
  • “Any other means approved by the Board

Additionally, operators must process withdrawals within ten days of customers’ requests.

Licensed VA betting sites must promote responsible gambling by providing information about self-exclusion options, notifying customers of the passage of time, giving bettors the ability to initiate cooling-off periods, not offering credit, and offering promotions that are not misleading.

Some of the key responsible gambling rules require operators to provide:

  1. A prominent link to information about the permit holder’s self-exclusion program
  2. A mechanism for a player to take note of the passage of time
  3. The ability to initiate a “cooling off” period such as breaks in play and avoidance of excessive play
  4. Practices and procedures on the site do not reinforce myths and misconceptions about gambling
  5. Information about the website’s terms and conditions is readily accessible
  6. Promotional or free games do not mislead players
  7. Notification to players of age-verification procedures
  8. Access to credit is prohibited
  9. Fund transfers and automatic deposits are prohibited or restricted
  10. Games display credits/spending as cash

Professional sports franchises in the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLS that play five or more regular-season games per year in Virginia may apply for sports betting licenses.

Further, the VA Lottery is instructed to “give substantial and preferred consideration” to franchise applicants headquartered in Virginia and that remitted more than $200 million in state income tax withholdings for the 2019 tax year.

That rule resulted in FanDuel being the first online sportsbook to launch in Virginia due to its partnership with the Washington Commanders.

The team will reconsider its stadium’s location in 2027 when its current lease for FedEx Field expires. The VA sports betting law could prove instrumental in convincing the Redskins to relocate to the Commonwealth.

The operators of sports facilities where a professional sports franchise holds at least five games per season may also apply for sports betting licenses.

Facilities that pay more than $10 million in payroll and employ 100 or more people are to be given substantial and preferred consideration.

Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway are also permitted to apply for sports wagering licenses under adjustments to the legislation suggested by Governor Ralph Northam.

The legislation that legalized online sports betting in Virginia also paved the way for the construction of up to five land-based casinos, pending local approval via citywide referendums.

The question went to voters in five cities on Election Day 2020, and four of the five eligible cities approved casinos.

Voters approved casinos in Bristol, Norfolk, Danville, and Portsmouth, and construction on Virginia’s first casinos got underway shortly after.

The one holdout was Richmond, which rejected a proposed $565 million ONE Casino + Resort.

The vote was narrow, with the “Nos” winning by a slim 1,200-vote margin. Richmond has a population of over 225k residents, third-largest among eligible cities.

Casino owners must pay a $15 million licensing fee and a graduated tax rate ranging from 18 – 30%.

The Lottery Board is directed by state law to issue a minimum of four sports betting permits and no more than twelve, but it’s not that simple.

Virginia law states that a permit does not count toward the minimum if it is issued to a major league sports franchise, the operator of a major league facility, or a casino operator.

Additionally, a permit does not count toward the maximum if it is issued to a major league sports franchise or the operator of a major league facility.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed additional legislation in March 2021 to clarify the law and definitively authorize up to twelve standalone mobile betting licenses.

Under SB 1254 and HB 1847, the Virginia Lottery may issue up to twelve licenses not tethered to casinos.

The bills also authorized sportsbooks to accept wagers on the Olympics and gave the state lottery the authority to authorize wagers on additional events at its discretion.

Proposition wagers and in-play bets are allowed except for prop bets “on college sports or a proposition wager placed on any type of possible injury, unsportsmanlike conduct, or any other officiating call.”

Virginia online sports betting regulations (11VAC5-70-170) require the Director to post a complete Authorized Sports Events, Leagues, and Bets list on the Lottery’s website. The Director can update the list at any time, and operators can request specific leagues, events, bets. These requests must be made at least 72 hours before the event, and approval is at the discretion of the Director, based on the following criteria:  

  1. Input from the sports governing body or conductor of the sporting event;
  2. Whether the outcome of the sporting event is determined solely by chance;
  3. Whether the outcome of the sporting event can be verified;
  4. Whether the event generating the outcome is conducted in a manner that ensures sufficient integrity controls so the outcome can be trusted;
  5. Whether the outcome may be affected by any bet placed; and
  6. Whether the event is conducted in conformity with all applicable laws

Conversely, 11VAC5-70-180 allows a sports governing body to request the removal of approved wagers if it:

“has a good faith, reasonable basis to believe such restriction, limitation or prohibition is reasonably necessary to protect the integrity or the public’s confidence in the integrity of the sports governing body,”

11VAC5-70-190 requires operators to settle in-play wagers through official league data, supplied by the league or an approved third party, in most cases.

Per the Virginia sports betting regulations :

  • A sports governing body may submit a request to the Director in the form and format required by the Director to require permit holders to use official league data to settle those bets placed after a sporting event has started.
  • Unless a sports governing body, pursuant to this section, has requested that permit holders use official league data to settle bets, a permit holder may use any lawful data source for determining the result of a wager. A permit holder shall not purchase or use any personal biometric data unless the permit holder has received written permission from the athlete.
  • A permit holder shall report to the Director the data source that it uses to resolve sports wagers. The Director may disapprove of a data source for any reason, including but not limited to, the type of wager and method of data collection.

One of the most unique aspect of Virginia’s sports betting regulations is this passage found in 11VAC5-70-230:

“If a sports governing body notifies the Director that real-time information sharing for wagers placed on its sporting events is necessary and desirable a regulated entity shall share the information described in subsection L. with the sports governing body or its designee with respect to wagers on the sports governing body sporting events. Such information may be provided in anonymized form and may be used by a sports governing body solely for integrity purposes.”

Essentially, this allows the leagues to request proprietary wagering data from sports betting operators under the auspices of integrity monitoring.

11VAC5-70-140 requires operators to hold in reserve enough funds to cover all outstanding wagers and account balances.

That sum cannot be less than $500,000 and must equal or exceed the aggregate sum of:

  1. Funds held by the permit holder in player accounts;
  2. The total amount of funds accepted by the permit holder as wagers on sports events with outcomes that have not been determined; and
  3. Money owed but unpaid by the permit holder to players on winning wagers.

Further, permit holders are required to maintain specific types and amounts of insurance:

  1. General commercial liability insurance in the amount of $5,000,000;
  2. Errors and omissions insurance in the amount of $15,000,000; and
  3. Such other types and amounts of insurance as the Director requires.

And finally, the regulations allow permit holders to “offset loss and manage risk, directly or with a third party approved by the Director.” This can be accomplished via a liquidity pool in Virginia or, in a jurisdiction where the permit holder is also licensed.

All licensed Virginia online sportsbooks must craft house rules and submit them to the Director of the Virginia Lottery for approval. Each operators must provide policies and procedures covering the following subjects:

  1. A method for the calculation and payment of winning wagers;
  2. The effect of schedule changes;
  3. The method of notifying players of odds or proposition changes;
  4. Acceptance of wagers at terms other than those posted;
  5. The method of contacting the permit holder for questions and complaints;
  6. A description of prohibited individuals and others who may be restricted from placing a wager;
  7. The permissible methods of funding a wager; and
  8. A description of all types of wagers that may be accepted.

One house rule suggested by operators that regulators chose not to include: the ability to unilaterally void bets due to palpable errors. Instead, Virginia law grants the Director of the Virginia Lottery the exclusive authority to void bets due to errors.

Virginia Daily Fantasy Sports

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Virginia legalized daily fantasy sports contests in 2016 with legislation implementing a licensing process and consumer protection regulations.

Players 18 or older can play real money fantasy sports contests with licensed operators who are bound by state law to treat customers well and host fair games.

Nearly a dozen daily fantasy sports sites hold Virginia DFS licenses and offer a wide range of contests, including daily fantasy games and prediction contests.

Visit BettingUSA’s Virginia fantasy sports guide for a full list of licensed DFS operators and answers to common questions:

Virginia Horse Racing Betting

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Online horse racing betting is legal in Virginia.

Virginia legalized parimutuel wagering in 1988 and issued its first racetrack license to Colonial Downs in 1994. In addition, Great Meadow in The Plains hosts two annual steeplechase events, while the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds holds harness racing every Spring and Fall. All three venues offer trackside pari-mutuel wagering.

Other Virginia horse racing betting options include simulcasting at off-track betting facilities and advance deposit wagering through licensed online racebooks.

The Virginia Racing Commission has issued licenses to multiple horse racing betting sites, with the most prominent being TwinSpires.

Virginia Online Gambling

Virginia has not yet legalized online gambling, but the legislature is discussing the issue increasingly frequency. Although an effort to regulate online casinos in Virginia was shelved in 2025, there are multiple indicators the legislature is receptive to the idea but wants to study the issue more carefully before advancing specific legalization bills.

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Read more about online gambling in Virginia, including sweepstakes casinos as an alternative below:

Online poker is not yet legal in Virginia.

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The Virginia Lottery was authorized by a public vote in 1987 and then launched in 1989 where it contributes hundreds of millions of dollars towards education every year.

The Virginia Online Lottery launched online and mobile ticket sales in 2020 for customers 18 and older.

Players can visit valottery.com to download the official Virginia Lottery mobile app to buy tickets to draw games, play instant win games for real money payouts, check winning numbers, and see current jackpots.

Responsible Gambling in Virginia

Various Virginia sports betting regulations require licensed operators to prevent access to online sportsbooks by minors and people who have self-excluded, provide easy methods for customers to close their accounts, post responsible gambling messages to customers, and train staff on responsible gambling practices.

The ability to self-exclude is another vital part of Virginia’s responsible gambling efforts.

Self-exclusion in Virginia is a blanket prohibition that prohibits the individual from “participating in any form of legalized gaming in the Commonwealth.” Anyone breaking their self-exclusion is “prohibited from collecting any winnings or recovering any losses,” they may incur. Forfeited winnings are donated to the Commonwealth’s Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund.

Virginia offers self-exclusion terms of:

  • Two years
  • Five years
  • Lifetime

The two-year and five-year self-exclusion forms can be submitted online. The lifetime exclusion must be done in person at Virginia Lottery headquarters or other approved locations approved by the Department.

Self-excluding from sportsbooks in Virginia can also extend beyond the state’s borders.

Per Virginia law, “the Department will share the self-exclusion list with operators of legal gambling in the Commonwealth and that such operators, pursuant to their own policies, may extend the exclusion of the individual to offerings at the operator’s locations outside the borders of the Commonwealth.”

A late change to the rules just before they were approved was the removal of language that would have voided active bets if an individual were to self-exclude. The current language reads:

“If a player has a pending wager and the player subsequently self-excludes, the wager may settle and the funds and account balance shall be returned to the player in accordance with the permit holder’s internal control standards.”

Virginia Sports Betting FAQ

Yes. Virginia lawmakers passed legislation in 2020 to authorize sports betting apps and retail sportsbooks. The first online sportsbooks launched in early 2021, and Virginia sports bettors now have numerous name-brand providers such as BetMGM, DraftKings, BetRivers, and more at their fingertips.

Retail sportsbooks at casinos, sports venues, and NASCAR race tracks are also legal.

Fans can bet online sports from anywhere in Virginia via licensed betting apps and websites. The best Virginia sports betting apps provide competitive lines, generous welcome bonuses, and ensure the safety of customers’ private information.

Bettors can also place wagers in-person at licensed sportsbooks in Virginia.

No. Bettors only need to be located within states lines to bet on sports online in Virginia. Residents and visitors alike may bet online while physically located in Virginia.

Bettors must be 21 or older to bet on sports in Virginia.

The Virginia Lottery Board is responsible for implementing regulations, issuing licenses, auditing licensees, and ensuring compliance with all state laws.

Yes, college sports betting is legal in Virginia.

However, Virginia Sportsbooks may not offer bets on games involving local universities or prop bets on individual college athletes.

State law provides an exception for tournaments in which Virginia colleges participate.

The two relevant portions of Virginia sports betting law outline these restrictions.

VA Code § 58.1-4030 provides this definition of legal sports betting:

“Sports betting” means placing wagers on professional sports, college sports, sporting events, and any portion thereof, and includes placing wagers related to the individual performance statistics of athletes in such sports and events… “Sports betting” does not include placing a wager on a college sports event in which a Virginia public or private institution of higher education is a participant.

VA Code § 58.1-4039 states:

A. 1. No person shall place or accept a bet on youth sports.

2. No person shall place or accept a proposition bet on college sports.

3. No person shall place or accept a bet on Virginia college sports.

[…]

C. The prohibitions in subdivisions A 1 and A 3 shall be limited to the single game or match in which a youth sports or Virginia college sports team is a participant. The prohibitions shall not be construed to prohibit betting on other games in a tournament or multigame event in which a youth sports or Virginia college sports team participates, so long as such other games do not have a participant that is a youth sports or Virginia college sports team.

Yes, esports betting is legal in Virginia.

Virginia state law specifically authorizes bets on “electronic sports events”.

Bettors may access their mobile betting accounts from anywhere to view the odds, make deposits, request withdrawals, and view pending wagers, but they may only place bets when located within state lines.

Virginia sportsbooks have wide latitude in the types of wagers they may offer. Under state law, licensed sportsbooks and betting sites may offer all the standard types of wagers such as point spreads, moneylines, totals, props, in-play betting, parlays, teasers, pools, and even exchange betting if they wish.

Additionally, sportsbooks may offer wagers on professional sports, college games, international events such as the Olympics, and motor racing. The VA Lottery Board maintains an up-to-date catalog of approved leagues and events on this page under the “Sports Betting Catalog” tab.

Bettors must be 21 or older and not have self-excluded from gambling or sports betting in Virginia. In addition, VA Code § 58.1-4041 prohibits the following people from placing wagers in Virginia:

  • VA Lottery Board employees, officers, and directors
  • Owners, officers, and employees of any sports betting permit holder may not place wagers with that permit holder (e.g., DraftKings employees cannot bet on DraftKings Sportsbook)
  • Relatives of any permit holder’s owners, officers, and employees who live in the same household may not bet with that permit holder
  • Any officer or employee of any entity contracted by the Board for sports betting services
  • Competitors, coaches, trainers, employees, and referees may not bet on events governed by the league to which they belong

Readers can see the recommendations on this page, which are all legal and licensed in Virginia. Since its founding, BettingUSA has remained dedicated exclusively to legal online betting.

Bettors can also visit the Virginia Lottery Board website and select the “Approvals” tab to confirm which operators have received sports betting licenses.

No. Virginia’s last gaming expansion did not legalize online casinos. That’s not to say the topic won’t be broached in the future, as Virginia lawmakers may be persuaded by the successful rollout of legal sports betting and the potential tax revenues Virginia online casinos could generate for the state.

Additionally, Virginia faces pressure from nearby states like West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware – all of which have legalized online casino gambling.