Online Gambling In Virginia
The frenzy that caught many technology-loving citizens, regarding the United States online gambling expansion, is not necessarily a phenomenon that we might see at a prevailing level in the law-creating structures of the states.
Virginia is at the bottom of the list when it comes to the prospect of instating such a regulation. We usually find this sort of reluctance to even debate the subject in states which haven’t a very liberal stance on gambling in general. Seeing how there aren’t any casinos in VA, it’s actually no surprise that talks about online casinos haven’t even started.
- Virginia is one of the states whose legislators are strongly against most forms of gambling in the state. This means that, so far, the only state-acknowledged and regulated forms of gambling have been the pari-mutuel horse-racing bets, which can be placed either at the race-track or the licensed satellite facilities.
- Gaming Laws in Virginia. Virginia Code Section 18.2-325 defines illegal gambling as making, placing or receiving any bet or wager of money or other thing of value, dependent upon the result of any game, contest or event, the outcome of which is uncertain or a matter of chance.
The majority of states on the Eastern seaboard have adopted a liberal stance towards gambling in recent years. So far Virginia online casinos hosted “in-state” are illegal, any that do exist are not regulated, and they operate beyond the remits of the law. Virginia has no law preventing someone from gambling at an online casino, and no arrests have ever been made in Virginia for any crimes related to online casino gambling. Virginia is not one of the eight American states with laws against online gambling, so the ultimate answer is that yes, online casinos are legal in Virginia.
Best Virginia Online Casino Sites
| Casino | Bonus | Website | Rating | Features | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2000 | 230 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 2 | $12250 | 426 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 3 | $12000 | 465 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 4 | $2500 | 418 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 5 | $1000 | 219 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 6 | $7777 | 233 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 7 | $3000 | 185 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 8 | $800 | 225 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 9 | $4000 | 112 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
| 10 | $5000 | 496 voted Review |
| ||
| |||||
Contents
Virginia Gambling Laws Overview
Virginia gambling laws aren’t the strictest in the country, but they also don’t offer any intense support in expanding these activities. Putting it simply, the authorities are not yet convinced of the pluses the instalment of slot machines in Virginia is going to bring to state’s budget.
The biggest shortage in the VA gambling field is, without any doubt, the lack of land-based casinos state-wide. For those state residents that are keen on betting in table games, not offering this option can result in two things:
- An important part, as some of the more permissive states have found out, of potential tax revenues aren’t going to Virginia’s budget
- This money is still spent, only in the benefit of others: either travelling to nearby states, Maryland and Delaware being the main speculator of this opportunity, or even worse, going abroad, towards online casinos based off-shore
Statistics show that a state with tribes willing to put the base of casinos on their land, get a taste of what the extra revenue from casino activity means and are much more relaxed towards the idea of allowing the expansion of gambling. In Virginia, the only recognized tribe thus far, the Pamunkey have had a different approach, being completely against it, even having to reelect a new tribal chief, which would support less this idea.
However, gambling in Virginia isn’t completely non-existent. The largest part is played by race betting. Until 2015, a renowned horse racetrack, the Colonial Downs, offered live racing to enthusiasts. However, some issues and endless debates made the venue to close-up shop for an indefinite amount of time. At the time, it’s rumoured to become a golf course. Still, betting on races is possible through the OTB locations around the state.
Virginia also has a state lottery and allows charitable gaming, as well as the organizing of social events, in the form of social poker, as long as no fees are paid for taking part.
Virginia Online Gambling Possibilities
Online gambling Virginia is not a subject in the state’s fiery debates so far, VA having other priorities to handle in this field, before that. This means that no slot machines are available anywhere between state borders. A solution has been found for this issue, as well, and seeing how the best casinos, in this case, are the ones available for VA players, it was the loop that off-shore new RTG online casinos found to enter this market.
For example, Bovada is legal in Virginia through the fact that it’s not actually specified to be illegal anywhere in the legislation. Thus, for those who wish to play online slots for real money, the only thing to look out for is the best way to discern between plenty of options existent out there. Filtrating these online sites through the pluses and minuses are given to them in professional made reviews, like the ones from the list above, might just be the easiest and most reliable way to go about this.
- Top 1 USA online casino
- Fast payouts
Offline Gambling
Racetracks
The races should have been the element to replace gambling casinos in Virginia’s market. They were the main betting entertainment provider, up until 2015, when the only racetrack active, suspended its operations. Nowadays, the track is said to become a golf course, which ironically enough would allow golf courses betting.
Lottery
What would gambling in VA mean without the existence of a state lottery? It also participates at the interstate available versions, Mega Millions and Powerball.
Charitable Games
Some non-profit organizations are allowed to host charitable gambling events, in the form of bingo games, raffles or duck racing, in order to raise money for a specified cause. Also, as a result of many people not wanting to travel to casinos near VA, social casino nights are allowed, as long as the organizers don’t receive a fee for hosting such events. Surely though, this is a weak replacement, as it mainly offers a form of social poker, while other types of gambling, such as baccarat, are hard to be found at such events.
Future Prospects
2019 came along with an unexpected twist in the gambling market of Virginia after a bill on expanding this domain has passed the State Senate. The main development that this bill stipulates is that of allowing sports betting Virginia, which would be a terrific first step on the road to gambling expansion. It also could lead to the opening of one of the first state casino resorts, located in Bristol. Before getting hopes up, at this point, a referendum must be held on the matter, which would only be possible in November, but it’s still great news on the authorities’ behalf.
You Might Also be Interested in:
North Carolina online gambling
TN online gambling
KY online gambling
West Virginia online gambling
MD online casinos
Is gambling legal in Virginia?
There are some forms of gambling Virginia permits within its state: lottery, charitable games, and racetrack betting. There currently aren’t any gambling casinos, although some movement has been seen lately in that area, with a new bill passing Senate, which would allow a first casino to be built in Bristol. For those who haven’t the patience to wait that long, there is the option of traveling to nearby states, Maryland and Delaware being the closest go-to destinations. Also, online casinos are available, but only those situated in across borders jurisdictions.
Are there casinos in VA?
There aren’t any casinos in Virginia at this point, but the alternatives of going up online are permitted. As long as the operators of these online casinos are licensed in other countries which allow these activities. Also, driving around 100 miles to the closest casino in Maryland, for example, although uncomfortable, might just solve the issue.
Can I gamble online in Virginia?
If I would like to do some Internet gambling near me, there are only four states where I need to go, for that to be legal. As a resident of Virginia, these states are a bit farther away than comfortable, so another option to engage in online poker, would be to use the off-shore websites that accept players from the US. The main problem with not having Virginia online casinos is that if fraud happens, no American authority is allowed to check out the issue, but instead, you’d have to entrust the matter to the licensing authority, which is in another country altogether. For that not to happen, choose carefully the online casinos to play at. Instead of going solo on searching the wide web for a safe website, it’s better to follow the recommendation list of casinos from those sites specialized in reviewing online casinos.
What is the legal age for wagering in VA?
Online Gambling In Virginia
Not unlike the neighboring West Virginia gambling age, the same partition happens when it comes down to the Virginia gambling age: 18 for a lottery, bingo, racetrack betting and 21 for online casino gambling.
Online Gambling In West Virginia
Are there any changes for the good in Virginia’s gambling market?
Is Online Gambling Legal In Virginia
There is a real opportunity for a first addition to the Virginia casino list, in Bristol, after a bill has passed Senate in early 2019. If this bill manages to pass a state referendum, the possibility to play roulette should be available in no-time. The same bill is also trying to regulate sports betting, so it seems there are many things to be looking for in the near future.