Virginia Gambling Laws for Sports, Casinos, Horse Racing, and More

Virginia gambling laws can be nuanced and hard to understand. Below are some quick facts and things you should know before you start gambling at Virginia casinos or on the VA sports betting market.

Virginia Gambling Laws Quick Facts

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Is Gambling Legal in Virginia?

Yes, gambling is legal in Virginia. From land-based casinos and horse racing to online sports betting, there are a number of ways to legally gamble in the Old Dominion.

Who Makes Gambling Laws in Virginia?

The Virginia Lottery Board makes VA gambling and sports betting laws for the state. The Virginia Lottery was created in 1987 with the first ever lottery ticket purchased in the state in September 1988.

What Does the Virginia Lottery Board Do?

The Virginia Lottery is overseen by the Lottery’s Executive Director, Khalid Reede Jones. He along with the seven other members on the board are tasked with authorizing to adopt regulations governing the establishment and operation of a lottery, amongst other duties.

Per the Virginia Lottery’s website: “The Virginia Lottery has been tasked with regulatory responsibilities for land-based casinos and internet sports betting. This includes regulation, licensing, auditing, and compliance for gaming operators, equipment manufacturers and distributors, suppliers and employees.”

Ways to Legally Gamble in VA

Below are some of the legal ways you can gamble in the State of Virginia as of March 2026:

• Betting on horse racing at a licensed facility
• Engaging in charitable gaming where a game of chance, such as bingo, is sponsored by a non-profit organization
• Playing a game of chance, such as poker, in someone’s home
• Participating in a state-sponsored lottery, such as Mega Millions or Powerball
• Betting on professional sports. It remains illegal to bet on a college sport involving a Virginia team or youth sports involving people under the age of 18
• Playing certain types of skill games at a family entertainment center as long as the potential prize is a merchandise prize and not cash

Virginia State Laws on Gambling & Different Ways to Gamble

The State of Virginia has a number of ways you can gamble. There are strict laws surrounding them, however, so you should be in the know before you start participating.

Virginia Casino Laws

Casinos are new to the state of Virginia, only passed by voters in 2021. Virginia gambling law allows up to 5 casinos in the following cities: Norfolk (The Pamunkey Tribe), Danville (Caesars Entertainment), Portsmouth (Rush Street Gaming), Bristol (Hard Rock International), and Petersburg (The Cordish Companies). Richmond is the only city that has rejected multiple referendums for a land-based casino.

Casinos must go through multiple steps to get the chips moving for a license including a minimum $300 million capital investment, 20% equity in the casino, and a spend of $15 million for a licensing fee (renewed every 10 years). To be eligible to operate on a year-to-year basis, a permit holder is required to submit an annual permit fee of $5,000.

For consumers, in order to legally gamble in a Virginia casino you must be 21 years of age.

Virginia Sports Gambling Laws

Sports gambling laws in Virginia aren’t as steep as what you read above. 12 total online sports-betting operators can operate in the state but require the following fees to get started:

• $50,000 for each of the “principals” named as part of the application
• $250,000 permit fee
• $200,000 renewal fee every three years

Taxed at 15% of adjusted gross gaming revenue, operators must partner with an in-state casino or professional sports franchise and can only provide sports gambling online as an option.

For consumers, laws are very much the same as gambling in casinos. You must be 21 years old and can only gamble using your identity. Some restrictions as far as what you can gamble on include betting on youth sports, prop bets on collegiate events, and wagering on Virginia-based collegiate sports.

Virginia Lottery Laws

The Virginia Lottery has been established since 1987 while the first ever lottery ticket was purchased on September 20, 1988. To buy a lottery ticket in Virginia you only need to be 18 years of age; anyone that buys or sells lottery tickets to someone under the age of 18 is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor and up to $2,500 fine.

Gambling winnings of any kind, whether via the lottery or online sports betting, is subject to 5.75% in Virginia taxes and 24% in federal taxes. You can use our VA gambling tax calculator to help determine what you owe come tax season.

Virginia Horse Racing Laws

Horse racing was legalized in Virginia in 1989, shortly after the lottery. Betting on horse racing is subject to laws similar to gambling in casinos and online sports wagering.

Top Virginia Gambling Laws to Know

• Federal tax rates on gambling winnings are 24%, 5.75% in state tax.
• You must be 21 or older to gamble in any form with exception to the lottery (18 years old).
• Any form of online casino gambling is prohibited.
• You cannot gamble on Virginia-college sports teams or place collegiate prop bets of any kind.

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Author

Tyler Olson

Tyler Olson

Tyler Olson has worked in sports media for over a decade, writing, editing, and optimizing primarily NFL and sports betting content. His primary focus is giving users in Virginia the most up-to-date information on operators and sharing the latest promo code offerings they have to offer.