Compliance Updates

Virginia Lawmakers Approve Sports Betting and Casino Bills

Published

5 years ago

March 11, 2020

Niji Narayan

Virginia Lawmakers Approve Sports Betting and Casino Bills

Photo Source: bookiesniper.com

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Virginia lawmakers have approved a pair of bills legalising casinos and sports betting in the state, after a fight over whether the state should allow bets on college games involving Virginia teams.

The lawmakers chose to exclude Virginia colleges and universities from the new sports betting market, bowing to concerns raised by higher education leaders who said they wanted to shield student athletics from gambling’s influence.

The bills represent a major expansion of gambling after decades of resistance in the legislature. But the promise of additional tax revenue and keeping gambling dollars in Virginia secured bipartisan support for the bills.

If Governor Ralph Northam signs the bills, sports betting could be available through mobile apps and websites by the end of the year. Casinos would take a little longer, requiring voter referendums in five cities – Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Richmond – the General Assembly chose as possible casino sites. Those referendums could happen as early as November.

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Niji Narayan

Niji Narayan has been in the writing industry for well over a decade or so. He prides himself as one of the few survivors left in the world who have actually mastered the impossible art of copy editing. Niji graduated in Physics and obtained his Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism. He has always interested in sports writing and travel writing. He has written for numerous websites and his in-depth analytical articles top sports magazines like Cricket Today and Sports Today. He reports gaming industry headlines from all around the globe.