Virginia gambling laws

Virginia gambling laws at a glance

Virginia moved from one of the most restrictive gambling states to one with several licensed products in a few years. Today the picture splits cleanly: in-person casinos, online sportsbooks and the online lottery are licensed, while online casino games are not. The table sums up each form of gambling and who oversees it.

For the wider picture, including options for players in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Richmond, start at our Virginia online casinos hub. This page focuses on the laws themselves.

Are online casinos legal under Virginia gambling laws?

No. Virginia has not authorized online casino games, and no operator holds a Virginia online casino license. The 2026 General Assembly session considered two bills, SB 118 and HB 161, that would have created a legal online casino market. Legal Sports Report reported that the session ended without a conference compromise between the two chambers, so both bills died.

Both bills also carried a reenactment clause, meaning that even if passed, they would have needed a second vote in 2027 before taking effect. Any new attempt now starts from that point. Until lawmakers act, Virginia is not one of the states with legal online casinos, which are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The sweepstakes ban language included in SB 118 and HB 161 died with them, which is why sweepstakes sites remain in a gray area in the state.

Offshore casinos that accept Virginia players are not licensed by Virginia or any US state. That means no state complaint route, no state-backed protection of balances and terms set entirely by the casino.

The Virginia Lottery's role as gambling regulator

Unusually, Virginia gives its lottery agency the job of regulating commercial casinos and sports betting. Its website publishes the list of approved casino operators (opens in a new tab) and the licensed online sportsbooks (opens in a new tab) on its own site. That makes it the main point of contact for most legal gambling questions in the state.

It does not regulate online casinos, because none are authorized. Offshore casino sites fall outside its licensing entirely. Our overview of state gambling regulators compares Virginia's model with other states.

Approved casino operators

The dates are the approval dates the Lottery lists. We haven't confirmed which venues are open to the public today, so check with the operator before visiting.

Online sports betting under Virginia law

Online sports betting is legal and licensed. Ten operators hold licenses, according to the Lottery, and its first monthly sports betting report covers March 1, 2021, so the market was running by 2021, although the Lottery's page doesn't state an exact launch date.

Licensed sportsbooks must follow Virginia's rules on age, location checks and responsible gambling, which offshore sportsbooks do not. The federal Wire Act still matters here: the First Circuit held in 2021 that it covers sports betting communications across state lines. Read our Virginia sports betting page for the operator list and betting rules.

Lottery, online lottery and daily fantasy sports in Virginia

Some draw games are sold online through a Virginia Lottery MyGameRoom account, including Mega Millions, Powerball, Millionaire for Life, Cash 5 and Pick 3, 4 and 5. The minimum age to play the lottery is 18, according to the Lottery's responsible play page (opens in a new tab). Our guide to online state lotteries compares Virginia with other states.

Daily fantasy sports are legal. In 2026, lawmakers passed HB 145, which, as Legal Sports Report described it, sets a 10% tax, a $50,000 license fee and a ban on house-banked contests. Whether the governor signed it isn't confirmed in the sources we use, so treat those rules as pending. See our daily fantasy sports laws page for how other states compare.

Sweepstakes casinos and Virginia gambling laws

Virginia has not banned sweepstakes casinos. These sites use two currencies, Gold Coins for play and Sweeps Coins that can be redeemed for prizes. A stand-alone ban, SB 579, was continued to 2027, and the ban language inside the online casino bills died with them, according to Legal Sports Report.

Several other states have moved the other way. New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Montana, Louisiana, Maine, Indiana, Tennessee and Oklahoma all have recorded bans. Our Virginia sweepstakes casinos page tracks the state's bills, and the sweepstakes casino bans tracker covers the rest of the country.

Gambling ages in Virginia

The only age the Virginia Lottery's published pages confirm in our sources is 18 for the lottery. Minimum ages for casinos and sports betting aren't stated on the pages we rely on, so check with the Virginia Lottery or the venue before you play.

Offshore casinos set their own minimums. Silver Oak's terms say 21 or the local legal age if higher, while SlotoCash's terms say 18. Third-party reviews list Planet 7 at 21+. We only discuss offers with readers who are 21 or older. Our gambling age by state table lists the rules elsewhere.

Statutes and penalties: state and federal law

We haven't verified the specific Code of Virginia sections and penalties that apply to illegal gambling, so we don't quote them here. If you need the exact wording, read the Code of Virginia directly or ask a Virginia attorney. What we can set out is the federal framework that applies in every state, including Virginia.

Under the UIGEA, whether internet gambling is "unlawful" depends on the law of the state where the bet is made, as the statute's definitions (opens in a new tab) show. That puts Virginia law at the center for anyone playing from the state. Our pages on the UIGEA, the Illegal Gambling Business Act and Murphy v. NCAA go into each law.

What Virginia gambling laws mean for offshore casino players

Offshore casinos accept players from Virginia even though the state hasn't authorized online casinos. We won't tell you that playing there is legal, and we won't tell you that you'll be prosecuted; neither claim is supported by what Virginia's regulator publishes. What is clear is that you have none of the protections a licensed Virginia sportsbook or casino gives.

1. Read the Virginia Lottery's pages and our offshore casino legality guide so you know the law where you live.
2. Check who runs the casino and which license, if any, it publishes, noting where reviewers disagree.
3. Look for state regulator actions; Michigan has named several offshore brands in cease-and-desist letters.
4. Read the bonus and withdrawal terms in full, especially weekly caps and max cashout rules.
5. Set a budget and a time limit before you deposit, and treat any money spent as the cost of entertainment.

Michigan's regulator, for example, named Slot Madness in an August 14, 2025 letter and Silver Oak and Planet 7 on April 9, 2025. Royal Ace isn't named in any of the three Michigan releases covering our partners. See our cease-and-desist letters page for the full list.

Problem gambling help and Virginia's Voluntary Exclusion Program

Virginia runs its own helpline and a self-exclusion program. The Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline is 888-532-3500, by call, text or chat. The Lottery's Voluntary Exclusion Program (opens in a new tab) lets you bar yourself from Virginia-licensed gambling.

Self-exclusion in Virginia doesn't reach offshore sites, so ask each offshore casino to close or exclude your account too, and consider blocking software. Nationally, the Problem Gambling Helpline run by NCPG is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), with chat through NCPG's help page (opens in a new tab). Our guide to state self-exclusion lists explains how these programs work.

Offshore casino offers for Virginia players and the legal caveats

This page is about the law, and the law is plain: Virginia licenses no online casinos. The offers below are from offshore casinos that are not licensed or regulated by Virginia or any US state. Check Virginia law and your own circumstances before signing up. Players must be 21+ (18+ where allowed), terms apply, and we earn a commission from these links, with partners shown in a commercial order.

Royal Ace Casino: $2,500 Welcome Bonus + 35 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). Third-party reviews disagree on its terms: LCB lists 200% up to $4,000 at 30x deposit plus bonus on slots, 60x on blackjack and video poker, with a max cashout of 10x the deposit, while casino.guru lists 250% up to $2,500 plus 35 spins. Reviewers report a $2,500 weekly and $5,000 monthly withdrawal cap. Read our Royal Ace review first.

Slot Madness Casino: $2,500 Welcome Bonus + 50 Free Spins, via our link (new players, 21+ or 18+ where allowed, terms apply). Third-party reviews list a 275% match with code MAD275, a $30 minimum deposit and 30x deposit plus bonus on slots, with no max cashout, though LCB caps the match at $2,750 and casino.guru calls it unlimited. Codes change, so check the cashier. See our Slot Madness review for the weekly $2,500 cap reviewers report.

Both bonuses are slot-focused, and table games are often excluded or weighted lower. The house edge applies while you wager, so expect to lose more often than you win.

21+ (18+ where allowed). Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: responsible gambling tools and free help. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).