Virginia Casinos are not yet legal, but proposed senate bills and recent decisions by Governor Northam indicate that this law might change.
Virginia Online Casino Rule
S 1126 is a recent bill that has passed the Virginia legislature. There’s language in this bill providing for legal sports betting and online casinos in Virginia.
Before the bill becomes law, Governor Ralph Northam has set aside $175K for an independent study to be conducted on sports betting and online casinos. The study finished right around the November 5th general election, but it’s unlikely that a real decision will be made before next year.
Many Virginia representatives, including speaker Kirk Cox, have voiced strong opposition to any Virginia casinos. The Republicans lost majority control of the Virginia legislature in 2019, and current Governor Ralph Northam (D) has an open mind towards casino revenue “staying in the commonwealth”.
What this means for the future of Virginia casinos is positive– we’re likely to see the Governor sign S 1126 into law. However, the bill may go through several revisions before it gets signed.
Horse betting in Virginia can be done now, although VA sports betting is currently in development.
Retail Casinos in VA
There are no retail casinos in Virginia. As stated above, Governor Northam has set aside $175K to study the feasibility of sports betting and casino gambling in the state following the passing of S 1126.
Five locations are proposed for Virginia casinos. Some locations seem to already be moving ahead with advertising and development, namely the Bristol Resort and Casino. Still, the law is not set in stone, so this eager development may be a little premature.
What’s more, since there are no retail casinos in Virginia, these locations will need to be built and established before they can bring their casinos online. Check back here for more information on online casinos in Virginia as soon as it’s available.
