Virginia Sports Betting: 7 Best Online VA Sportsbooks 2023

Sports betting in Virginia has been legalized and available to bettors since January 2021, when legislation was passed. To legally bet on sports in Virginia, you must be 21 years or older and physically in VA at the time you place a bet. VA sports betting sites are continuing to grow, with 15 legal Virginia sportsbooks to choose from.

How Do I Bet On Sports Online In Virginia?

If you are interested in Virginia sports betting, we want to help you get started. We showcase the best Virginia online sports betting sites and provide you with a sportsbook review for each. When you are ready to register for your first Virginia Sportsbook account, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:

If you're excited to start betting in Virginia and want to take advantage of one of the retail sportsbooks, forget it. There aren't any, not until one of the big boys opens the first casino resort in the Commonwealth. Until then, you get to enjoy the wonders of mobile sports betting using one of the many Virginia Online Sportsbooks, whether it be through their sites or Virginia betting apps. 

You don't have to keep yourself bolted to your desk; all you need is your phone, which, admit it, is probably within 10 feet of you at all times. Any of the books worth your time are going to be available to you whether you're on Android or iOS, and many of them also have a separate instance optimized for tablet users. The apps generally provide the same options as the corresponding websites.

Thanks to mobile sports betting, as long as you're in Virginia, you can bet from the gym, the mall, even the bathtub, and you can't put a price on that.

No matter which of the Virginia Betting Site you opt for, you can expect a lot of overlap in the sports betting options you'll find when you open up the Virginia sportsbook. There's plenty of variation too, with some going in deep on international sports leagues and sports that are pretty obscure in America. But the traditional four major sports leagues in the country are well-represented wherever you go. It's when you want to bet on professional table tennis live from Moscow that you may have to dig.

 

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VA Sports Betting: Best Promotions & Betting Bonuses For You To Choose From

As previously mentioned, sports betting regulations were put into place to encourage competition among the houses. This can be a boon to players who want to try betting sites in Virginia, as the big players in the sports betting industry are falling all over themselves to get people playing on their field. Check carefully all the Virginia sportsbook promos and see what works best for you.

One of the most common welcome promotions come with bonus bets attached. Some places will even offer a $1,000 bonus bet. What does this really mean? You can't lose on your first bet up to the amount you wager. If you win, you win. If you lose, you get your amount wagered back. But check the terms and conditions carefully because most places get you back in bonus bets toward future bets rather than cash. There may also be a "use 'em or lose 'em" policy to get you to use the bonus bets quickly as well. So that $1,000 in bonus bets is tempting, sure. But make sure you know what you're agreeing to.

The initial deposit match is another popular welcome bonus you'll commonly see from VA sportsbooks. With a deposit match, you'll get your initial deposit met by the house. The thing to watch out for here is the rollover requirement -- how many times you'll need to bet with this bonus money before you're allowed to withdraw any of it. Fortunately, the competition that's out there keeps this number low - usually only 1 to 3 times. Compare this to the bet match - where the house will kick the equivalent to your stake in on a qualifying bet.

Most of the major books will offer a referral bonus - send a special link to your family, friends, coworkers or adversaries. If your contact signs up through your link and makes a deposit to their bankroll, you both get some bet credits. It's not as good as cash, but a bet credit is a bet credit.

Another common promotion is the odds boost. This is simply a the moving of the line to favor the player rather than the house. An example of this is a promotion where two players combine for more than 10 3-pointers in a basketball game. If the odds were meant to be +175, an odds boost could notch it up to +200. Same circumstance, better payout if it comes through. Several operators offer a new slate of odds boosts every day.

Parlay Insurance

Parlay insurance is a clever innovation by sportsbooks that encourages sports bettors to keep trying their parlays wagers. In a nutshell, parlay insurance means that if all of your legs are winning bets bar one, then you will get a refund on your wager. It’s a great option that ensures that your risk is minimized.

Parlay insurance usually comes in two forms — free bet insurance or cash back insurance. Free bet insurance gives you a free bet to the value of your stake while cash-back simply returns your cash to your account. 

 

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How To Pick The Best Virginia Sports Betting Site For You

Many factors can go into the decision of which of the Virginia Online Sportbooks is right for you. Whether you're looking to rack up reward program points or can't get enough bonus bets, you'll need to decide what's important to you. Here's what I consider.

The sports betting industry is highly competitive in general, and Virginia is more competitive than most with its high number of sports betting sites. So Virginia sports bettors are spoiled when it comes to picking a sportsbook. However, we always recommend that instead of opening one, you should create an account at one of the many legal online sportsbooks in VA with at least three of your favorite sports betting apps

There are three main reasons for this. 

1. You can take advantage of multiple welcome offers giving you more bang for your buck.
2. Some sportsbooks may not offer odds on certain sports or events. If you have more than one VA sportsbook account, you’re much more likely to find your odds.
3. Some sportsbooks may offer better odds on an event. While this may only be half a point, it can make a big difference if your wager wins.

This is perhaps one of the most important things to watch for as reviews give you insight into how sports bettors enjoyed their experience at the sportsbook. You can find reviews on sites such as this one, and we also suggest looking up reviews at the Apple App Store or Google Play. Don't just look at ratings – some people lose bets and blame the sportsbook. Read negative reviews to find out why that person is unhappy.

Sports bettors want to know that they can place the wagers they want and bet on sports they prefer to watch. Everyone's going to give you point spreads for the next Washington Commanders game and allow for parlays in the college basketball betting section. But if you like obscure prop bets or the chance to bet on some of the more obscure sports, you'll have to do some digging. Make sure you can bet your way before you lay any money down.

At best, you're going to want the most favorable odds available to you. But at the very least, you need to know that the odds you're given through sportsbook operators in Virginia are fair and competitive to the ones that other bettors are getting. You also want to be sure that the lines will pay out in a way that it's worth your time and attention. You may also find better odds for, say, baseball, with one operator and more favorable lines for hockey on a different Virginia sportsbook. Don't be afraid to shop around.

If you've never read sports betting lines in the American odds format, these are the basics: A plus sign refers to an underdog, a minus sign refers to a favorite. The number indicates how heavy the odds are, and what kind of a payout you can expect if it hits.

Keep an eye on sports betting operators in Virginia to see what kind of promotions they're offering sports betting and how often they roll out. You'll see some places offering daily odds boosts, bonus bets, or insurance to protect a parlay that misses a single leg. As far as I'm concerned, there are enough places offering deposit bonuses or bonus bets that there's just not a lot of sense using one that doesn't do that.

All the promos and great odds in the world aren't going to help you if you can't actually place the darn bet.  VA betting sites need secure, stable software that allows users to quickly and easily record the wager they want. If the website is fine but the app crashes (or the other way around), that's no good either. Offer a full sports betting experience where I don't have to worry about it breaking when I'm just trying to bet the Washington Commanders on the moneyline.

Different houses accept different forms of payment, but the ones common across most of the operators include debit cards, online banking, PayPal, Play+ and other prepaid cards, and ACH e-checks. You may also see credit cards, PayNearMe, or Venmo depending on where you choose to play. The transactions are secure and can be trusted with any of the operators regulated by the Commonwealth.

You'll see similar options for banking when it comes to withdrawals. Obviously, electronic transfers move the fastest, but make sure you know how long you should expect to wait before hassling a customer support rep about it.

Every one of the operators has some kind of recourse for the customer should something go wrong. Something going wrong, by the way, doesn't mean complaining about a bad beat. That's just part of the game. But if you need assistance due to a software error or a compromised account, that's a different story. The most helpful options I've used are live chat support for speed, and email for ease of record-keeping, so I favor houses that use those types of support.

Virginia is the most populous state in the country without a major professional sports team playing within its borders, but six teams from D.C. have partnerships with an online sportsbook. To offset the lack of professional teams in VA, you can bet on any of the major sports leagues using the variety of betting sites in Virginia.

Virginia Online Sportsbooks: What Kind Of Betting Types Are Available?

Virginia's limitation – that you cannot be on college sports if the team is based in the state – does not affect the broad range of available wager types. Here is every way you. can bet on sports in Virginia.

Probably the easiest bet there is, you're simply picking a winner. The minus is the favorite, the plus the underdog, and the number tells you what you'd win based on a $100 bet. A minus sign indicates how much you'd have to bet to net $100 in winnings, a plus sign what you'd get on top of your $100 stake should you win.

Parlays, which are wildly popular in basketball and football markets, are a way to combine single bets so they're dependent on each other. Each piece of the parlay (leg) has to hit or the entire bet is a loss. Why would a sane person do this? Every leg makes for longer odds, sure, but also increases the potential payout considerably.

A totals bet, also known as an over/under, is a bet on the combined score of the two teams. You'll often see them set in terms of half-points to avoid a push (tie). All you're doing is wagering on whether the final score will total more or fewer points than the number offered.

The point spread is the easiest way to level the playing field for bettors on a pair of mismatched teams. Rather than the winner or loser, you're betting on the difference in the final score. The favorite has to "cover" the spread, meaning a -9.5 point favorite would have to win by 10 points or more to cover. The underdog can lose that same game by up to 9 points and still cover their bets. Spreads are far and away the most popular form of bet in football and basketball.

Futures bets are wagers on events that take place further out than a few days. An example of a futures bet would be putting a wager down in August for Alabama to win the College Football Playoff National Championship, or the Nationals to win the World Series before pitchers and catchers report.

A prop bet is any bet not related to the final score of a contest. It could be an over/under on a college football team's total receiving yards in the first half, or which basketball player notches the first offensive rebound in a game.

Live bets are a fun new wrinkle courtesy of Virginia sports betting. Virginia online sportsbooks offer the chance to place bets during a game based on the events that have already taken place. This can be a lane for a shrewd gamblers to make some headway, as the operators simply don't have the time to research every possible permutation ahead of time. Just make sure you grab a good line when you see it, as the odds may change by the next play.

It bears repeating. Virginia sports betting laws do not provide for legal wagers on college sports teams that are based in Virginia, such as the Virginia Tech Hokies. It's the law, and it's pretty common, there are similar regulations on college sports betting in New Jersey and New York, for instance. Virginia Tech alum may be upset that they can't wager on the alma mater, but there are plenty of other forms of college football betting available.

• VA NFL Betting

  The true juggernaut for sports betting revenue is the NFL. It's head and shoulders above the other markets when it comes to sports wagering. Point spread and over/under bets alone make for plenty of action, but with the popularity of the sport, the books are always looking for other ways to encourage people to bet on the NFL. Parlays are huge, and many operators will offer teasers or pleasers in addition to round-robin options. All three local teams have their own betting partners - the Ravens and Panthers work with Caesars Sportsbook VA, while FanDuel Sportsbook came out strong by pairing with the Washington Commanders.

• VA NHL Betting

  One of the biggest markets for sports wagering is hockey, and Virginia sports bettors have a couple of teams in the vicinity to choose from. Of the nearby teams, the Carolina Hurricanes are exploring options for an in-arena sportsbook, but the Capitals are already partnered up with one of the big operators. Maybe you've seen the Caesars Sportsbook logos on their jerseys. Traditionally, moneyline wagers have been the most popular form of NHL betting, but in-game betting lends itself particularly well to the non-stop action found in a hockey game.

• VA NBA Betting

  Pro basketball is America's second-largest betting market, and with a long season full of fast-paced games, it's easy to see the opportunities from the usual point spreads and over/unders to endless chances for live betting. It's also a sport that lends itself well to parlays and round robin bets, so it's clear to see why the sports betting industry is as bullish as they are on the NBA. The nearby NBA teams don't have official partnerships with the sports betting operators as yet, but expect that to change soon as the Wizards have worked with William Hill (owned by Caesars Sportsbook), and the Hornets have a relationship with DraftKings Sportsbook through their DFS games.

• VA MLB Betting

  If you like to play the long game, MLB betting may be the road you want to take. Baseball may lack the frenetic pace of hockey or basketball or the cultural imprint of the NFL, but the play is well-suited to moneyline bets, and the relaxed speed allows ample opportunity to find favorable odds in live sports gambling scenarios. Nationals fans especially may see something they like with their official sports betting partner, BetMGM.

• Can I Bet On Virginia College Sports?

  While betting on college sports in Virginia is legal, betting on Virginia college sports teams is not. Despite every other state where legal sports betting is permitted being able to bet on the Virginia Tech Hokies & Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia bettors are restricted. Since college sports are so popular in Virginia thanks to the lack of major league sports teams, VA sportsbook operators cover a wide range of college sports betting markets on each sports betting app available in the Virginia sports betting market. 

 

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When Did Online Sportsbooks in Virginia Become Legal?

Yes, online sportsbooks are legal in Virginia and available to Virginia residents. Gov. Ralph Northam signed the sports betting bill into law in April of 2020, which provided for both online and retail sportsbooks in Virginia. 

Because there were no brick-and-mortar casinos in Virginia then, there was a considerable delay between legalization and implementation. The Virginia Lottery Board chose which of the operators would qualify for a sports betting license, and The first bets were taken on January 22, 2021, when FanDuel sportsbook hit the scene.

The push for legal sports betting in Virginia goes back to when the lottery was legalized in 1997. Daily Fantasy came about in 2016 and when the state lottery when online in 2018 it began to look like only a matter of time.

Virginia Sports Betting Legislation Timeline

Here is a timeline of the path to legal sports betting in Virginia.

• ✅ January 2021 FanDuel becomes the first legal online sports betting operator in Virginia to receive a sports betting license, followed quickly by DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM and BetRivers in the same month.
• ✅ September 2020 Lottery Board announced regulations for VA sports betting, including exclusion of Virginia Tech and other teams representing college sports in Virginia.
• ✅ July 2020 Lawmakers announce sports betting would become legal.
• ✅ April 2020 Sports betting proposals passed both Virginia legislative bodies.
• ✅ May 2018 Federal ban on wagering on sports lifted.

Sports Betting and Taxes in VA

All Virginia sports gambling winnings tax are considered taxable income, and it's your responsibility to report gambling income on your tax return. State taxes in Virginia range from 2% to 5.75%, and you can expect to pay taxes on any Virginia sports betting revenue, as well as any winnings coming from slots, the Virginia Lottery, or horse racing.

One of the most notable things about Virginia and its mature sports betting market is that there is a lack of any major league teams in the state. This means that the vast majority of Virginia sports betting is on teams and events that are in other states.

As a result, you’ll find that the best sports betting apps in Virginia tend to have a great range of sports betting markets and offers on major events as there are no local teams to focus on.

This gives Virginia sports bettors and much more ‘all-inclusive’ type of experience where you can bet on everything and anything. 

Retail Sports Betting vs. Virginia Online Sports Betting

Retail sports betting and online sports betting are different for obvious reasons. If you want to bet on sports in person, you can check out our page to learn everything about Virginia casinos. In my opinion, the Virginia online sports betting experience is better all around. But judge for yourself. If you want to shop the lines, it's easier to switch between Virginia online sports betting sites than to drive around to different retail sportsbooks. Plus, online sports betting comes with odds boosts and promotions you'll never get on a VA casino floor.

The Virginia Lottery regulates the Virginia sports betting industry. This includes the license application and approval process for all operators. The Lottery also has the power to issue and suspend licenses if needed. 

That's only the beginning. All the major operators offer sports betting on combat sports, tennis, and soccer, which is the most popular betting sport worldwide. FanDuel Sportsbook has also partnered with DC United of MLS. And there's even more.

Build your team ahead of a day full of action and win if your players' real-life stats play out well. Virginia was actually the first state to put laws and regulations on the books around DFS games. Just like the betting sites, the Virginia Lottery oversees the practices of the DFS providers.

Pari-Mutuel betting on horse racing became legal in Virginia in 1989. Colonial Downs in New Kent offers instant win games, and five off-track betting parlors are found in the Commonwealth. Additionally, three sites that focus on gambling on horse races are operational.

SB 384, passed in 2020, explicitly provides for legal eSports betting. Meaning that Virginia sports betting includes the ability to wager on certain video game tournaments. Because this is still a pretty niche sport, you may need to try a couple of different shops before you find a place that will take your action.

Betting on elections is illegal in Virginia, and every other state in the union for that matter. It was legal in West Virginia, but only for about an hour before they put the kibosh on it. Officials even said they "screwed up", so don't expect to see that course reversed any time soon.

What if you want to bet on the Academy Awards? In Virginia, there's technically no law that prohibits it, but you're still probably not going to get that chance, at least not this year. It appears the operators are going to hold off until it's explicitly regulated, so as not to run afoul of the Virginia lottery.