For the longest time, Virginia was one of the states in the USA with heavy restrictions on gambling — both online and offline. However, by the looks of it, the state is making major steps in liberalizing the industry, working its way around properly regulating it and making games of chance available to residents.

Currently, the following types of gambling and betting are legal in the Old Dominion State: riverboat casinos (although technically, the only existing boat does not set sail and has a limited list of gambling action), lotteries, online and offline Sportsbook, charitable gambling, and off-track betting.

Legalizing land-based casinos was the key question in focus for the local legislators by the time we were ready to publish this article. As for the online casinos, though, these are still not on the agenda and it is highly unlikely that they will be legalized in the near future.

The state institution in charge of regulating gambling is the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It relies on the Virginia Statutory Code and the Charitable Gambling Statute.

Live casinos are banned in the state of Virginia and the law specifically states that players are not allowed to play online unless they are playing on websites authorized by the state (which are non-existent). Disobeying the law on the matter classifies as a Class III Misdemeanor.

At the same time, there were no precedents of the state following any specific player. This is probably why 1000s of gamblers head to offshore casinos yearly. According to the statistics, on a yearly basis, interactive offshore platforms generate up to 270 million USD in gross wins from the residents of the reviewed state.

Our database has lots of great USA-friendly websites that will accept players from Virginia.

How to Pick a Live Casino in Virginia?

Unfortunately, there are too many cases of offshore operators taking advantage of players from the USA, delaying payouts, tampering with bonus cash, and more. This inevitably raises the question of whether it is worth playing in an international venue where a US-based player is not protected by local laws and can’t, in case a dispute happens, take an issue to court.

We say that there are lots of trustworthy websites to register at. The key to picking the right one is taking a closer look at the operator’s license, software, and feedback online.

Most of the operators that we recommend will come with permits from the jurisdictions of Curacao and Cyprus. There are also quite a few great locations authorized by Costa Rica and Panama but here, we also recommend taking a closer look at how many years the brand’s been online and what players are saying about it.

For our database, we’ve hand-picked lots of great operators offering premium live blackjack, as well as supplying players with live roulette for real money and also offering baccarat and table pokers.

Which Banking Methods Are Available to Virginia?

Visa and American Express are frequently included in the cashiers of Virginia-friendly online operators. In addition to these methods, we also recommend taking a closer look at platforms that accept digital cash.

Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin are the types of digital currencies frequently offered to players from the USA. They have several major advantages over cards and bank transfers. Among others, they won’t be blocked by the banks. Plus, they allow saving cash on withdrawal fees, in addition to being safe and protected.

Total gambling in Virginia — with riverboat, sports betting, lottery, and charitable gambling combined — generates up to 10 billion USD yearly. Out of all these activities, sports betting remains the most popular, generating up to 4 billion. It is followed by lotteries that sell up to 3 billion worth of tickets yearly.

Land-Based and Riverboat Casinos in Virginia

Up until 2019, there were no land-based casinos in Virginia. To be exact, there were also none by the time we were ready to publish this review a couple of years later. However, during these two years, the state made an important decision.

It allowed residents of certain cities in the Old Dominion State to vote whether they’d like to allow casinos or no. The cities where the vote took place were Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond. Currently, the legislators process the results of the ballots and work out a way to regulate the niche.

Usually, when states don’t have casinos, tribal places to bet and win are still allowed. However, there are none in the state of Virginia.

As for the riverboat casinos, the state has Riverboat on the Potomac — a boat operating 7 days a week since 11 a.m. It is not exactly a riverboat casino as it does not set sail. Also, the closest thing to casino services that it has is live Keno. There are no slots or table games. The visitors can also participate in off-track betting, purchase lottery tickets for lotteries in Virginia and Michigan, and dine in the restaurant.

Pari-Mutuel Betting in Virginia

In Virginia, what bettors have is off-track betting also known as OTB. This is the form of betting on horse racing allowed in Richmond, Alberta, Hampton, Vinton, and Chesapeake. There is also one racetrack field in the state. Along with placing bets, bettors can also use horse racing machines.

Sportsbook — online and offline — was voted legal in January of 2021. Currently, the state working out a way to license and certify providers. In other states, Sportsbook is assigned to land-based venues but since there are none in Virginia, we are expecting unusual solutions. Up to a point where residents of the state will be allowed to place bets on Sportsbook in other states.

Lotteries in Virginia

Lotteries have been around for years in Virginia. This is a state-regulated niche distributing tickets locally, as well as being part of the national lotto games. On average, the lottery generates around 2.5 – 3 billion USD in ticket sales and pays out less than 2 billion in prizes. The surplus from the lottery goes to funding state education.

Charitable and Private Gambling in Virginia

Under the laws of the state, bingo, instant bingo, raffles, and pull-tabs can be considered charitable gambling. The organizations that hold such events, need to comply with a list of rules and also pay a yearly fee of 200 USD.

Private events can be held by individuals under one circumstance, that the house does not take the rake.

Skill Gaming in Virginia

Virginia allows skill-based gambling. In accordance with the definition, a game is considered a skill-based one if the player can in any way influence the outcome of the game by applying a certain skill. This can be as easy as moving a reel to make the symbols match. Skill-based games can be found in bars, taverns, and convenience stores.