Whether you’re new to Virginia sports betting or are simply on the search for a fresh gaming experience, we think you’ll be amazed by the variety and quality out there. This guide is about providing you with all the info needed to find the ultimate sportsbook for you.
- 1 Where to Place Sports Bets in Virginia?
- 2 Is Sports Betting Legal in Virginia?
- 3 Sports Betting Revenue and Taxation in Virginia
- 4 Best Sports Betting Apps in Virginia
- 5 Virginia Sports Betting Promotions
- 6 Popular Types of Bets
- 7 Local Team Sports to Bet On
- 8 Famous Sports Events in Virginia 2023
- 9 Virginia Sports Betting Timeline
- 10 States Where it is Legal to Bet on Sports
- 11 🔴ThePuntersPage Final Say: No Need to Wait Any Longer for Virginia Sports Betting
Where to Place Sports Bets in Virginia?
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Full T&Cs apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER |
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Full T&Cs apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER |
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Full T&Cs apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER |
Although Virginia sports betting is still in its infancy compared to many other parts of the world, there’s already a star-studded selection of great bookmakers to choose from. In fact, we’d go as far as saying you’re already spoiled for choice. Check out our top table to discover who we think are the top three bookmakers in Virginia right now.
Comparison of TOP Sportsbooks
❀ We’ve only selected the absolute best for our trio of recommended Virginia sports betting sites. We think that someone looking for a sportsbook in the Old Dominion would be happy with any of them.
However, we’re not content with just finding you a good sportsbook, we want you to discover your perfect match🐓. With that in mind here’s a spotlight on all three of our favorites.
Draft Kings: A Little Bit Of Everything
Striking a real balance, Draft Kings manages to both be a top pick for major sports events and daily betting on smaller events.
♏ They are like a pair of shoes that seem to fit no matter the occasion. If you’re looking for long term futures betting they have early, competitive odds that are easily accessible all year round on the likes of the Stanley Cup, the NBA Finals and The Masters. No other bookmaker is better suited to those huge Virginia sports betting markets.
✤ But they also have great game lines and prop bets on your regular fixtures too, meaning whatever’s on today’s sporting menu they’ve got you covered. And that’s not just for American sports.
We’ve been really impressed by how diverse Draft Kings can be when it comes to international marketsꦿ, you can find Aussie Rules, Darts, Cricket and so much more amply provided for. Same goes for esports where Draft Kings have again proven themselves more forward thinking than the overwhelming majority of their competition in and out or Virginia.
🐎 Another area where they excel is within the realm of esports. Although Draft Kings have of course proven their progressive capabilities as a fantasy betting operator they are quite traditional when it comes to their sportsbook. We were pleasantly surprised then, to discover that they really go above and beyond with esports providing a fantastic and deep selection of markets across the likes of COD and League of Legends.
Whatever you like to bet on, and it’s almost certainly here, you’ll find all markets consistently backed up by fantastic promotions, available every day, and top notch statistical details to help better inform your bets. And all this is without mentioning the awesome fantasy betting optionsꦛ which have heled make this operator famous. Put simply, there is no better all-rounder for Virginia sports betting than Draft Kings.
- Fantastic futures betting markets
- All kinds of generous promotions suitable for a broad spectrum of players
- Top choice for sports variety, including international and esport options
- Some of the (excellent) promotions are on a very limited timeframe
- Offers themselves don’t have as much international scope as the betting market variety would suggest
- You need to download the app in enjoy everything they have to offer
BetMGM: An American Classic
🎀 Virginia may already be blessed with online betting sites that provide an international flavor, but if you’re after a betting site as American as apple pie, then BetMGM might be the one.
Not only are the expected sports leagues, like the NFL, NBA and MLB, covered, but they are done so with a level of market variety and depth that’s hard to beat. Just check out their markets on college football♔ as an example of how BetMGM can provide a greater scope of options for US sports than any alternative we’re aware of in Virginia right now.
൲ And speaking of Virginia, they have a site dedicated to users of that state meaning that all the markets and promotions are tailored specifically to that jurisdiction. And of course, the security and design quality they are known for is ported here too.
Another area where BetMGM excels is with their easy parlaysꦓ. They take full advantage of that grand library of markets and put together parlays for you to consider, providing even more online betting opportunities.
That’s just one example of how BetMGM go above and beyond when it comes to the user experienceꦆ. It’s tough to balance this much depth while remaining simple to use and understand, but it’s a line they manage to walk expertly. They are tailor made for Virginian betting fans, and accessible for all kinds of players.
- Rock solid and reliable site design with plenty of depth
- Consistently excellent betting odds, including on parlays
- Immense scope of American markets
- Could use a broader selection of international markets.
- Dark aesthetic won’t suit all.
FanDuel : The Complete Package
For many, FanDuel are the last word on fantasy betting even today, thanks to their fun, imaginative and generous fantasy betting🃏 options on a broad selection of sports. If that’s what you’re after, we really can’t recommend anywhere else more in the state of Virginia. Only Draft Kings can be considered competition in this regard.
ꦏ But they’ve long since expanded past fantasy betting, meaning FanDuel can stand tall as a rock-solid sports wagering all-rounder.
Their sportsbook is no afterthought, it provides competitive odds on a wide range of markets, from the NBA and NHL to tennis and soccer, with so much more in-between. They are especially excellent when it comes to horse racing markets, possibly the top choice in Virginia.
⛄ And it’s not just their gorgeous aesthetic that makes these options so inviting. FanDuel are also consistently generous when it comes to promotions, with everything from welcome offers to “no sweat same game parlays” adding value to your bets. Great for fans of betting on sports, both traditional and fantasy.
- Site looks incredibly inviting, and is as enjoyable to use as it is easy on the eye
- Fantastic horse racing market selection
- Sportsbook more than upholds reputation crafted from fantasy betting beginnings.
- Potential for more sports
- Could utilize additional statistical depth
Is Sports Betting Legal in Virginia?
In the United States legalized betting comes down to state legislation🔜 rather than being the call of centralized government. In other words, it’s up to each jurisdiction to decide on any legislative updates.
In Virginia, sports online betting was made legal in 2020, and the first sportsbook (FanDuel) went live in January 2021.
This does not mean a free for all, bookmakers must be licensed🌳 and authorized by the state of Virginia, so it is still possible for a sports wagering site to be operating illegally.
Unfortunately, online casino gaming has not been given the same legal freedom as sportsbooks💟, with state lottery sales and sweepstakes casinos being your only legitimate options. This means that the best real money online casinos sadly aren’t available to Virginians.
Present and Future of Sports Betting in Virginia
In terms of practicalities, all you really need to know is you can bet legally in Virginia.
🐼 More specifically, the Virginia General Assembly and Senate passed legislative updates SB 384 and HB 896 in March 2020 to make legalized betting in the state a reality.
🅷 This took effect at the start of 2021, with the signing of the legislation by Gov. Ralph Northam. These legislative updates were made possible by a supreme court ruling in 2018 which repealed the federal ban on sports online betting. This allowed each state to decide for itself what laws should apply to sports gambling.
Additional relevant rules include the following:
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🤡You must be physically located in the state of Virginia to legally place a bet
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꧂ However, you do not need to live in Virginia to bet in the state
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💖 Fantasy betting such as through the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel are also permitted
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☂ College sports betting has some additional restrictions. You cannot bet live on college sports leagues or on a team from a Virginia college
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🐎 The Virginia Lottery oversees the licensing of sportsbooks. If you wish to ensure that a bookmaker has the correct license, that’s the name to look for.
ꦜ And of course, legislative updates are an ongoing process. In 2022 another bill suggested amendments to fees, taxes and how sports wagering might be advertised in Virginia. One change which may impact readers directly is the potential of loosening the rules for betting on Virginia college teams.
♕ Otherwise, the key facts as outlined above appear to be staying the same for now.
Sports Betting Revenue and Taxation in Virginia
❀ The proposed changes in the law regarding sports betting taxation relates to how the businesses are taxed, not the individual. For instance, there’s a proposal that sports betting revenue will be taxed at a rate of 15%, which doesn’t affect how you bet or your finances.
The situation regarding an individual’s tax on sports betting revenue looks to stay the same. Firstly, gambling is subject to a federal rate tax of 24% beyond a specific threshold. For sports betting in Virginia that threshold is $600 for sports gambling and daily fantasy sports provided the pay-out was at least 300 times the wagering amount.
ജ So really not as bad as it may initially read when you just look at the numbers. The state specific tax rate depends on your income, and is broken down into the following:
| Income | Tax Rate |
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| Less than $3000 | 2% |
| Between $3,001 and $5000 | 3% plus $60 |
| Between $5,001 and $17,000 | 5% plus $120 |
| More than $17,000 | 5.72% plus $720 |
Do note that you only need to pay the percentage above the minimum amount in that income bracket🧸. So, for instance, you’ll only pay 3% of excess over $3000 on the amount earned between $3,001 and $5000. You can claim and report these winnings via a W-2 G form from your sports betting operator and can claim your total gambling winnings on Form 1040.
Best Sports Betting Apps in Virginia
The legislative updates also allows for mobile betting🉐. So, all that Virginia sports betting gaming goodness needn’t be shackled to a home computer if you prefer online betting on the go.
☂ The top bookmakers must have been working overtime because many of them already have fantastic mobile betting apps on both iOS and Android. Many of which are so polished they look like they’ve been fine-tuned over many years.
🎃 With such incredibly high standards, which provide the most compelling portable sports betting experience?
ꦆ We’re sure most sports betting fans will be pleased to walk around Virginia’s sun kissed streets with the following top tier sportsbooks in their pocket:
FanDuel
We don’t think there’s any operator more naturally suited to the small screen. FanDuel looks fantastic on mobile, their structure and aesthetic perfectly suited to the switch. This means everything works as effortlessly, perhaps even more so, as their browser counterpart. Plus, the fun of fantasy betting so suits the casual nature of mobile online betting🐼, as does the ability to adjust and keep up to date on the go.Their sportsbook, too, continues to exceed expectations via mobile app. We’ve noticed no loss of features nor markets here, and considering the rate at which their library is growing, that’s no small achievement.
BetMGM
Not only do we think BetMGM have crafted one of the best sports betting apps in Virginia, but it seems most people agree according to the exceptional high ratings found on the Google Play and Apple App Store.And it’s little surprise, not only do they take all of things that make BetMGM great and move them flawlessly to mobile, but their interactive design efforts allow for an even more intuitive experience🔯.Reliable, easy on the eyes and a joy to use, BetMGM provide a near ideal mobile sportsbook for popular American sports leagues. Better still they are one of the most consistently updating and improving apps we’ve come across, meaning you can expect even more excellence and interesting features in the future.
Draft Kings
The only alternative sports betting app in Virginia that can match BetMGM in terms of public acclaim is Draft Kings, which (although this has the potential to change) currently sits at a near unbeatable 4.8 out of 5 rating on both major app stores.We think the success of the app, for all its fine attributes, can be boiled down to one key reason. It takes everything great about the desktop version of the site, the fantasy betting, the thousands of sportsbook markets, all those fabulous promotions and parlay bets and puts them on the small screen without missing a thing🐷. There is no compromise here. If anything the design of the app might be even better than the already excellent browser option. So good it’ll have you wondering how so much could fit on a single solitary app.
Virginia Sports Betting Promotions
Bonus offers are like the cherry on top of a delicious betting experience. At their best they can provide fun and real money value. However, not all promotions are created equal meaning it’s important to only invest in the finest bonus offers out there💙. But with so many options, where do you start? We’d say the following represent some of the most generous promotions for Virginia sports betting.
BetMGM goes big with a first bet offer worth up to $1000 in free bets if your first bet doesn’t win. You can think of this as being given a second chance to win your first bet, large enough to be suitable for high rollers and casual players alike. It’s one of our favorite kinds of bonus, one which provides benefits for playing as normal꧅. Simple register, download the app, deposit your funds and place your bets as usual. Then reap the rewards. A very similar promotion is also offered by FanDuel.
It's not just welcome bonuses from FanDuel. They are offering even more promotional goodness if you refer a friend. Send them the invite link and when they make a bet ($10 or more within 30 days of signup) you’ll both receive $50 within 72 hours.
Draft Kings had several promotions worthy of being discussed here. This includes same game NBA parlays, refer a friend and their own huge up to $1000 deposit bonus. But none go further to exemplify the sheer generosity of what they provide than the new customer promotions which offer the chance to win $150 in bonus bets for a mere $5🍸. All you need to do is make a deposit of 5 bucks or more into your sportsbook account and place a wager. If your bet wins, you’ll receive $150 alongside your winnings as six $25 bonus bets. You’ve got a week to use each.
There’s a few things which make this promotion so special. First off, the low minimum bet means it’s accessible for everyone. Plus, you’re rewarded for winning𝐆 as opposed to refund based promotions. This is a winning mindset promotion. And all that is backed up by fair terms and conditions.
Popular Types of Bets
Since the legislative updates took effect, there have been thousands of betting marketsꦯ available every day in Virginia. And this variety is of course part of the strength of Virginia sports betting.
🎀 That said, can feel a little overwhelming for newcomers. To help, we’ve picked a few especially popular types of bets for gambling in Virginia, so you can get a taste of what’s out there.
Moneyline
While there’s a myriad of interesting and quirky Virginia sports betting markets, the moneyline will remain one of the most popular for its simplicity and the excitement it offers. This is betting on the outcome of a sporting event. In other words, who you think will win. Elegant and perfect in its simplicity.
Spread Betting
A form of handicap betting, spread betting aims to level the playing field. Since football is a Virginia favorite, we’ll use that as our example. Let’s say, hypothetically, that the Kansas City Chiefs are taking on the Cincinnati Bengals, and the former are considered favorites. The points spread gives the Chiefs a disadvantage of -7, meaning they would not only have to win the game but do so by over 7 points for a bet on them to be successful. Conversely the Bengals would simply need to avoid losing by more than 7 points for someone backing them to enjoy a successful wager. It’s the ability to balance out uneven teams that creates interesting games꧒ whoever is playing, and which makes this such a popular Virginia sports betting market.
Over/Under Totals
It’s great to have markets which allow you to move away from picking a winner if those markets don’t suit. Over/under totals are one of the most simple and satisfying examples, all you’re backing is whether or not a certain variable will be above or below an amount set by the bookmaker༺. The NBA is a Virginia favorite and makes great use of this due to its high scoring tendencies. For example, you might get over/under odds on 210 total points from both teams at the end of the game, which is interesting because you’re essentially online betting on the kind of game you expect rather than who comes out victorious.
Dominion Energy Charity Classic Winner
Alongside the NBA and NFL one of Virginias greatest loves is golf and they host their very own spot on the PGA Tour Champions🅷 known as the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, which boasts a 72-player field and 54 holes. If you love golf betting markets, we’d say there’s few better ways a Virginian could celebrate that than by backing a winner of this epic event.
Super Bowl Winner
Few states have a love of American football like Virginia. And this of course means picking the winner of football biggest event💎 is a hugely popular betting market. It’s also a great market to bet on early, because if you can pick a winner from the start, especially an underdog, you can enjoy very long odds. And even if you’re unsuccessful, this can provide an additional thread of interest throughout the play-offs.
Local Team Sports to Bet On
One thing that’s unusual about Virginia, especially considering the passion for sports in this part of the country, is that they have no major professional sports leagues. In fact, they are the largest US state without one. However, both the Washington Commanders of the NFL and the Washington Capitals🔥 in the NHL have been adopted by many Virginians due to their training facilities’ being in the state.
෴ You can find online betting markets related to these teams throughout most the year. All we’ve recommended for Virginia sports betting should consistently provide markets on both teams, as futures bets should be available when individual games are not.
| Club | League | Established | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Commanders | NFL | 1932 | Win Super Bowl +5000 |
| Washington Capitals | NHL | 1974 | Win Stanley Cup + 5500 |
Famous Sports Events in Virginia 2023
While Virginia may not have any major sports leagues teams nor stadium to call its own officially, they are still a fantastic melting pot of sporting passion. Check out the following sports events upcoming in 2023 as just a few examples of what’s on show.
| Sport | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Soccer | VA ODP Friendlies | 26th February |
| Track & Field | 2023 AAU Indoor National Championship | 2nd-3rd March |
| Basketball | Kick-Off Challenge | 4th March |
| Women’s Basketball | ACC Tournament First Round | 1st March |
| Squash | CSA Individual Championships | 3rd-5th March |
| Women’s Basketball | ACC Tournament Semi-finals & finals | 4th-5th March |
| Wrestling | ACC Championships | 5th March |
| NASCAR | 2023 Season Opener | 18th March |
| Basketball | Hoopfest Live | 8th-10th April |
| Horse Racing | Virginia Gold Cup | 6th May |
| Basketball | Neptune City Classic | 11th-12th June |
| Mixed | Virginia Commonwealth Games | 21st -23rd July |
| Baseball | Richmond Flying Squirrels vs Portland Sea Dogs | 22nd – 27th August |
| Football | Liberty Flames vs Old Dominion Monarchs | 11th November |
Virginia Sports Betting Timeline
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1973𒅌 – The first form of legal gambling, “charitable gambling” is legalized in Virginia in key legislative updates. This meant that bingo halls and charity poker was acceptable, which raised hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.
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1988ಞ – The state lottery debuted in 1988. It became a huge institution with thousands of retail locations and provided half a billion in funding for Virginia school each year. The financial success and revenue created may have helped pave the way for future sports betting legislation.
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1989 – Wagered horse racing is legalized, and the Virginia Racing Commission is created. However, there was still a great deal of skepticism meaning tracks struggled to stay open with the exception of some harness racing. While technically legal, sports betting was still a practical impossibility for most Virginians.
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2016༒ – Virginia becomes the first state to formally legalize daily fantasy betting, which is also why FanDuel was the first to be approved to open a sportsbook when traditional sports wagering became legal.
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2018🏅 – Historical horse racing is introduced in major legislative updates. This is where Virginians place bets on the outcomes of random horse races from the past. It was enormously popular, making over a billion dollars in revenue for the state. Think of this as somewhere between slot machines and sports wagering.
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2020൩ – The Virginia General Assembly legalized gambling in March of this year, this included sports betting, alongside casino and lottery online betting.
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2021🌄 – On January 21t the first licensed sportsbook, Fanduel, opened its virtual doors to allow legal sports betting in the state of Virginia. More operators went live in the state throughout the year and more continue to open to this day.
States Where it is Legal to Bet on Sports
In 2018, a ruling by the US Supreme Court ruled that individual states should have the right to regulate sports wagering in their own jurisdictions. This is why legalized betting is on a state-by-state basis today. As we know Virginia legalized betting in 2020 and it came into effect in 2021. At the time of writing the following states can also allow legal sports betting:
Do note that each state may have their own specific laws to consider♕. Just like Arizona sports betting does not allow online betting on in-state college teams, New Hampshire only has one operator, while Nevada requires in-person registration. These are just a few examples. What they all have in common though is the general legality of sports betting.
ThePuntersPage Final Say: No Need to Wait Any Longer for Virginia Sports Betting
When you experience the sheer quality that’s already available in Virginia, it’s hard to believe that sports wagering has only been legal in this state for a short period. They do not have the largest collection of operators as they have been very strict with licenses, but the top picks in Virginia can stand up next to the best in the world♔. That means a fantastic market selection, top tier odds, and promotions competitive with any alternative. And it’s only set to get better in the future. The sports betting selection is fittingly excellent for a state with a history and passion for sports like Virginia.