Last Updated: 07 February, 2025
Virginia joined the legal sports betting market in early 2021, and bettors can access a wide range of mobile betting apps or visit four retail betting facilities throughout the state.
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Is online sports betting legal in Virginia? | Yes |
Is in-person sports betting legal? | Yes |
Is daily fantasy sports legal? | Yes |
Is betting on college sports legal? | Yes (restricted) |
Is horse racing betting legal? | Yes (online & in-person) |
Is greyhound betting legal? | No |
Is political betting legal? | No |
Is eSports betting legal? | No |
The rules surrounding betting on college sports in Virginia require extra attention from bettors in the state. The biggest of these rules is that bettors cannot wager on in-state college, even if they are playing in a big tournament. Additionally, prop bets on college athletes are strictly prohibited, and that goes for all college athletes, not just the members of Virginia-based universities.
Other betting markets unavailable in VA include greyhound racing, politics, and eSports contests. On the bright side, the option to bet on horse races in person or through racebooks is available, as is the ability to download and use big-name daily fantasy sports apps.
Soon after PASPA was overturned in 2018, the Virginia Senate commissioned a study to investigate the possible revenue the state could make from legalizing sports betting. The study's results showed that legalization would be highly lucrative for the state, so by April 2020, two sports betting bills, SB 384 and HB 896, were passed.
Legal sports betting would see the light of day in Virginia in January 2021. While the state’s sports betting bill would allow for both mobile and retail wagering, because VA did not have any casinos prior to the bill being passed, residents’ first taste of sports betting came strictly from online sportsbooks.
After some provisions were made to the initial sports betting bill, it was determined that 18 online sportsbooks could operate in the state at once, thanks to the licensing landscape. While 18 are allowed in the market, as we progress into 2025, 11 mobile sports betting apps are currently available to VA bettors.
Not only does the market's landscape allow bettors to secure the best possible odds and promotions, but it also gives them access to the biggest names in online sports betting. These names include Bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, BetRivers, Caesars, FanDuel, and plenty more. Three of these operators have partnerships with retail casinos, while the fourth, Headwaters Casino, has not yet announced a partner. This suggests that another operator could enter the market before 2025.
According to a slide show presentation from a meeting of the Virginia Lottery Board in January 2025, Fanduel and DraftKings dominate the VA sports betting market with 39.2% and 28.6% market shares, respectively. After the "big two," the gap is huge as BetMGM holds the number three spot with a 10.8% share. All the rest of the betting app operators, such as Bet365 (5.5%), Caesars (5.1%), ESPN Bet (3.8%), and Fanatics Sportsbook (2.2%), have to settle for low single-digit shares.
Sportsbook app | Launch date |
---|---|
Fanatics Sportsbook | November 21, 2023 |
ESPN Bet | November 14, 2023 |
Betr | July 31, 2023 |
Bet365 | January 31, 2023 |
Hard Rock Bet | May 16, 2022 |
Bally bet | November 24, 2021 |
Caesars Sportsbook | February 3, 2021 |
BetMGM | January 27, 2021 |
BetRivers | January 27, 2021 |
DraftKings | January 24, 2021 |
FanDuel | January 21, 2021 |
Sportsbook | Details |
---|---|
Betfred | As part of a mass shutdown across U.S. states, Betfred will be leaving the VA market on October 21, 2024. |
UniBet | As of April 11, 2024, Unibet is no longer active in VA and has exited the U.S. market. |
SI Sportsbook | On June 3, 2024, SI Sportsbook left Virginia and will soon be entirely shut down. |
SuperBook Sportsbook | Has fully shut down in the U.S., aside from the retail version in Las Vegas. |
BetWay Sportsbook | BetWay ceased all U.S. operations on July 31, 2024. |
The Virginia Lottery enforces sports betting regulations in VA. One of those rules includes the legal age to place a sports wager, which is currently set at 21. Virginia sports bettors have the benefit of remote registration, so they are not restricted to a retail facility just to create a mobile betting account. All the mobile betting apps in VA can be downloaded on Android or Apple devices and accessed from anywhere inside the state.
When using one of the aforementioned mobile betting apps, bettors should be aware of the tax rate on their winnings on those apps. The tax rate a bettor is subject to depends on their income, as all gambling winnings in VA are considered taxable income. The lowest rate an individual may be subject to is 2%, while the highest tax rate in the state is 5.75%.
Over the past few years, lawmakers have attempted to pass bills that would allow bettors to wager on in-state colleges, but these attempts were unsuccessful. Regardless of the success of these bills, the state will continue to add to its betting legislation, which could result in a conversation around iGaming, which remains illegal in VA.
Are online casinos legal in Virginia? | No |
Are retail casinos legal? | Yes |
Are social sportsbooks legal? | Yes |
Are sweepstakes/social casinos legal? | Yes, social & sweepstakes casinos are legal |
Is online poker legal? | No |
Is the lottery legal? | Yes |
The launch date of sports betting in Virginia? | January 21, 2021 |
How many legal sports betting apps are there in VA? | 11 |
How many legal retail betting sites are there in VA? | 4 |
Is remote registration allowed? | Yes |
Legal age for sports betting in Virginia? | 21+ |
Virginia's tax rate for betting/gambling winnings | 2%-5.75% |
Who regulates sports betting in Virginia? | Virginia Lottery |
February 4, 2025: With a 17-5 record, the VCU Rams are (-110) to make the NCAA Tournament.
January 29, 2025: The Virginia Cavaliers will enter the college baseball season priced at (+1500) to win the College World Series.
December 17, 2024: The Caesars Casino in Danville, Virginia has officially opened it's doors to the public. The casino features over 1,500 slots and a sportsbook.
December 6, 2024: The Liberty Flames will be playing Buffalo in the Bahamas Bowl. The Flames are (-3.5) point favorites.
November 26, 2024: In the battle for the Commonwealth Cup, the UVA Cavaliers are (+7.5) point underdogs to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
November 19, 2024: As they look to secure bowl eligibility, the Virginia Cavaliers are set to host SMU as (+9.5) point underdogs.
November 18, 2024: Virginia and 42 other US states welcome Legendz, a social casino and sports betting platform offering props, parlays, and high RTP. Players 18+ enjoy free play, daily bonuses, and real prize opportunities.
November 12, 2024: Coming off a big win over Pitt, the Virginia Cavaliers will head to Notre Dame, where they are listed as (+22.5) point underdogs.
One key provision in Virginia’s sports betting law is that retail betting is legal, but it is to be limited to just three land-based casinos in the state. Additionally, the cities where these casinos were to be located needed to pass a referendum that would allow them to open, which is why VA currently only has four casinos instead of five.
Richmond was the lone city to vote against opening a casino, leaving Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, and Portsmouth as the four casino locations. However, the plans regarding Norfolk’s HeadWaters Resort & Casino have faced some setbacks, and it’s currently unclear when or if this casino could open for the public.
While most states also require mobile operators to partner with retail locations, that is not the case in Virginia, as these casinos can partner with an online operator or open their own sportsbook.
Retail Sportsbook | Location |
---|---|
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino | 500 Gate City Hwy, Bristol |
The Rivers Casino | 3630 Victory Blvd, Portsmouth |
Caesars Casino | 1100 W Main St, Danville |
Virginia is part of a large section of states that all offer legalized sports betting in some fashion. While some surrounding states only offer mobile or retail betting and not both, Virginia residents can still venture into any of their five neighboring states and place a legal bet.
Click on the states in the box below to read more about their gambling regulations and offerings.
State | Online sports betting | Retail sports betting | DFS | Horse Race betting |
---|---|---|---|---|
West Virginia | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal |
Tennessee | Legal | Illegal | Legal | Legal |
North Carolina | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal |
Maryland | Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal |
Kentucky | Legal | Illegal | Legal | Legal |
Virginia sports betting legislation allows for 18 licenses to be granted in total. There are 12 online-only licenses, five casino licenses, and one license for a professional sports organization in VA.
These licenses last three years, and they cost sportsbooks $250,000 once they are approved for one. All of these sportsbooks also have a 15% tax rate on revenue, which has resulted in the state accumulating over $236 million in tax income since sports betting was launched in 2021.
Regarding the total amount of handle, revenue, and tax income accumulated since legalizing sports betting, Virginia is in the top ten states in all three categories. Since they launched sports betting in 2021, only six states, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Tennessee, and Ohio, have produced more tax revenue than Virginia, and their position inside the top ten of all three categories likely isn't changing anytime soon.
The best thing regarding the VA online betting market is that, based on the figures, this market continues to grow on a year-on-year basis, as the 2024 total betting handle, revenue, as well as tax income exceeded the previous year's numbers by a mile, 24%, 22%, and 28% respectively.
Virginia sports betting record months:
Sports betting handle: November 2024 ($760,965,450)
Revenue: November 2024 ($86,351,240)
Tax income: November 2024 ($12,101,176)
Reported by the Virginia Lottery.
Total betting handle: $734,380,460
Mobile betting handle: $729,487,117
Retail betting handle: $4,893,343
Winnings paid to players: $684,826,417
Hold: 6.75%
Gross winnings from online betting: $679,956,640
Gross winnings from retail wagering: $4,869,777
Gross revenue: $49,554,043
Allowable bonuses and promotions: $10,790
Other deductions: $5,652,862
Adjusted (taxable) total revenue: $43,890,390
Tax revenue for the state: $6,598,301
Report | Total handle | Mobile handle | Gross revenue | Taxes |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 2024 | $734,380,460 | $729,487,117 | $49,554,043 | $6,598,301 |
December 2023 | $633,181,758 | $625,516,403 | $63,607,011 | $8,465,776 |
YoY change | Up 15.98% | Up 16.62% | Down 22.09% | Down 22.06% |
The following table shows the monthly reported data from the Virginia Lottery from 2025, including total handle, betting revenue, state's tax income, as well as the percentage regarding how the first two have changed compared to the previous month.
Month | Handle (MoM) | Revenue (MoM) | Tax income |
---|---|---|---|
Jan. 2025 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2025 Total YTD | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Month | Handle (MoM) | Revenue (MoM) | Tax income |
---|---|---|---|
Dec. 2024 | $734,380,460 (-3.49%) | $49,554,043 (-42.61%) | $6,598,301 |
Nov. 2024 | $760,965,450 (9.32%) | $86,351,240 (59.11%) | $12,101,176 |
Oct. 2024 | $696,103,392 (11.90%) | $54,273,253 (-24.13%) | $7,349,324 |
Sep. 2024 | $622,060,604 (49.29%) | $71,538,700 (78.21%) | $9,875,140 |
Aug. 2024 | $416,689,217 (10.34%) | $40,143,867 (-10.72%) | $5,241,930 |
Jul. 2024 | $377,641,472 (-9.08%) | $44,966,093 (-1.15%) | $6,045,606 |
Jun. 2024 | $415,360,427 (-17.85%) | $45,490,749 (-24.14%) | $6,212,254 |
May 2024 | $505,594,450 (-10.28%) | $59,966,999 (-1.04%) | $8,087,375 |
Apr. 2024 | $563,495,540 (-11.34%) | $60,594,585 (27.05%) | $8,210,372 |
Mar. 2024 | $635,593,137 (16.61%) | $47,694,659 (-4.69%) | $6,251,083 |
Feb. 2024 | $545,068,429 (-16.51%) | $50,040,797 (-32.68%) | $6,342,927 |
Jan. 2024 | $652,879,750 (3.11%) | $74,337,290 (16.87%) | $9,932,122 |
2024 Total | $6,925,832,328 | $684,952,275 | $92,247,610 |
Year | Handle (YoY) | Revenue (YoY) | Tax income |
---|---|---|---|
2025 YTD | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2024 | $6,925,832,328 (23.90%) | $684,952,275 (22.27%) | $92,247,610 (27.60%) |
2023 | $5,590,022,862 (13.74%) | $560,201,502 (16.41%) | $72,296,704 (39.66%) |
2022 | $4,914,954,449 (52.55%) | $481,234,505 (68.33%) | $51,765,685 (154.50%) |
2021 | $3,221,791,416 | $285,895,663 | $20,340,033 |
TOTALS | $20,652,601,055 | $2,012,283,945 | $236,650,032 |
Sports betting in Virginia is legal in both mobile and retail formats, and as of February 2025, 11 sportsbook apps are available within the state's borders. Also, sweepstakes casinos, social wagering apps, racebooks, and DFS sites entertain VA residents.
Virginia set the record in total placed real-money wagers within a month in November 2024, with a $761 million betting handle. This was the first time the VA betting handle exceeded to $700 million landmark.
Back in 2019, the Virginia Cavaliers won the National Championship for men’s basketball, just one year after they were upset by a 16 seed in the first round of the tournament.
The University of Virginia and the Virginia Tech Hokies have the biggest rivalry in the state, regardless of what sport they are matching up in.