Virginia Sports Betting 2023: Best Virginia Sportsbooks

Ranking Top 9 Virginia Sports Betting Options

Of the 15 total sportsbooks in Virginia, here's what we voted as the best:

We performed extensive research on each online sports betting brand and decided on this exclusive group because they offer a safe and fair betting experience and have already been approved by the Virginia Lottery Board.

Due to the volume of competition, these sports betting sites constantly evolve. We made it easy for you to see which of the best online sportsbooks fit your needs. Look for licensed and regulated operators that offer a user-friendly interface, competitive odds, a wide range of sporting events, secure payment options, and efficient customer support services.

Best Overall Virginia Sportsbook | ESPN BET

ESPN BET Virginia is here and they’ve brought one of the top mobile apps and promotions that you’ll find in the Virginia sports betting market. Top it off with what’s a generous rewards program, make sure to check out our full expert review on the all-new ESPN BET.

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Must be 21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. T&Cs Apply.

Best Virginia Sportsbook For Rewards | Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars Sportsbook Virginia features a spectacular rewards program with great perks at its many casino resort hotels and affiliated properties. 

Caesars Sportsbook VA is the sports betting partner of the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and Washington Capitals.

$1,000 First Bet on Caesars

Promo Code: VFB1000

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Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.

Best Sportsbook in Virginia For Niche Betting Markets | Betway

Looking for a Virginia sportsbook that offers betting markets for every US sport and international sports as well? Betway Virginia is the sportsbook for you offering daily odds and parlay boosts. 

Up to $250 Back In Bonus Bets

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Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.

Best For Live Streaming Options | bet365

There are aplenty of reasons to love technology in today's age but few can bring you live streaming options straight from an app quite like bet365 Virginia sportsbook. If live betting is more up your alley, you need to check out bet365 today.

First Bet Safety Net up to $1000

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Deposit required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customer only. Must be 21+ and Present in VA. T&Cs apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Best Virginia Sports Betting Site For Live Betting | BetMGM

The BetMGM Virginia Sportsbook offers bettors thousands of events to bet on live, worldwide. 

Regardless of the sport, there are an endless offering of in-game betting odds catering on your betting needs. From kickoff, to who will score next, BetMGM Sportsbook has every live betting market that you could ever look for.

First Bet Offer Up To $1,500

Bonus Code: VFBBONUS

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Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. Must be 21+. VA only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Best for Parlay Betting | Hard Rock Bet

With Flex Parlays at Hard Rock Bet Virginia, it's worth giving one of the newer operators on the Virginia sports betting market a chance. 

No Regret First Bet up to $100

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Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital, LLC. Must be 21+ and physically present in VA to play. Terms and conditions apply. In VA, CALL 1-800-GAMBLER

Best Online Sportsbook For Daily Fantasy | DraftKings

The second online sportsbook to open after Virginia legalized sports betting, DraftKings Sportsbook Virginia's reputation as a major player in Daily Fantasy Sports preceded it. 

While promos favor new bettors, most Virginia sports bettors and fantasy players agree that there's a lot to like here. Fantasy sports players are fans of being able to draft a new lineup whenever needed and the variety of contests available.

Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets Instantly + a No Sweat SGP Every Day

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Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.

Best VA Sportsbook for NFL Odds Boosts | BetRivers

BetRivers Virginia has competitive football odds boosters both for college football and NFL. VA bettors will have a hard time finding odds boosts like these. 

Add an easy-to-access welcome offer without a lot of play-through required, and this Virginia sportsbook becomes a must have in your betting portfolio.  

2nd Chance Bet Up To $500

Promo Code: SPORTS

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Must be 21+ to participate and present in VA. T&Cs apply.

Best VA Sports Betting Mobile Experience | FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook Virginia was the first to open when it comes to online sportsbooks in Virginia, beating DraftKings Sportsbook to the punch by a couple of days. 

FanDuel quickly became a popular online sports betting option in the Commonwealth, due in part to its partnership with the Washington Commanders and DC United. FD's website, loads fast with little to no load time. Players depend on Fanduel VA's ability to avoid downtime and to place wagers quickly.

Bet $5 on any Moneyline, Get $150 in Bonus Bets If Your Team Wins

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Must be 21+ to participate and present in VA. T&Cs apply.

Best Virginia Sportsbook For Merch | Fanatics Sportsbook

If you've ever ordered sports merchandise, there's a good chance you've heard of Fanatics. Well, now that company has its own namesake sports betting brand - Fanatics Sportsbook Virginia. This brand new Virginia sports betting operator offers a strong rewards program, competitive odds and fantastic sports betting promos. 

What Are The Newest Virginia Sportsbooks In 2023?

New Virginia sportsbooks that have launched an online sports betting site and app include ESPN BET, Hard Rock Bet, bet365, Betway and Fanatics Sportsbook.

List of All Legal VA Sportsbooks Available Today

With 15 legal Virginia sportsbooks, you have plenty to pick from. While not every licensed sportsbook offer a new user bonus, you can still utilize each app to find the best odds available wherever you're located. 

First Bet Offer Up To $1,500

Bonus Code: VFBBONUS

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Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. Must be 21+. VA only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire in 7 days from issuance. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Best Promotions & Bonuses to Choose From

As previously mentioned, online sports betting regulations were put into place to encourage competition among the houses. This can be a boon to players who want to try online sports betting in Virginia, as the big players in the sports betting industry are falling all over themselves to get people playing on their field. 

• Bonus Bets 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.
• Deposit Match The initial deposit match is another popular welcome bonus you'll commonly see from Virginia 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.
• Referral Bonuses 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.
• Odds Boosts Another common sports betting 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.

$1,000 First Bet on Caesars

Promo Code: VFB1000

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Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.

How To Pick The Best Virginia Sports Betting Site

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.

Read Reviews

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.

Variety Of Sports Bets Allowed

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 or futures for the Washington Commanders Super Bowl odds 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.

Competitive Odds and Lines

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.

Betting Bonus Frequency

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.

Friendly User Interface

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 online sports betting experience where I don't have to worry about it breaking when I'm just trying to bet the Washington Commanders playoff odds.

Easy Deposits And Fast Withdrawals

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.

Customer Support

Every one of the sportsbook operators in Virginia 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.

Which Pro Teams have a Partnership with VA Online Betting Sites?

Virginia is the most populous state in the country without a major professional sports team playing within its borders, but six teams from Washington, 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 sports betting sites in Virginia.

What 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.

• Moneylines 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 Parlays, which are wildly popular in basketball and football sports betting 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.
• Totals or Over/Unders 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.
• Point Spreads 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 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.
• Prop Bets 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 Betting 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.
• Prohibited Bets 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.

Which Sports Are Legal to Bet On?

No matter which of the Virginia sportsbook 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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 sportsbook 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.
• 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.

NEW SPORTSBOOK

EXCLUSIVE: Bet Anything, Get $250 in Bonus Bets

Promo Code: BETVA

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Must be 21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. T&Cs Apply.

When Did Virginia Sportsbooks Become Legal?

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

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 Gambling Taxes in Virginia

All gambling winnings in Virginia are considered taxable income, including sports betting, and it's your responsibility to report gambling income on your tax return. Fortunately, we have a Virginia gambling tax calculator to determine how much you owe. 

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.

Retail Sports Betting vs. 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 sportsbooks 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.

Who Oversees Virginia Sports Betting?

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.