Is Sports Betting Legal in Virginia?
It certainly is. Following in the footsteps of states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, legal sports wagering has been available in Virginia since January 2021. This milestone came within a year of Gov. Ralph Northam signing sports betting bills SB 384 and HB 896, and close to three years after the Supreme Court threw out the Professional and Amateur Sports Act (PASPA).
The FanDuel Sportsbook was the first to offer online betting in Virginia, though BetMGM, DraftKings, and Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers Sportsbook followed close behind. Other operators, including WynnBet, Unibet, Barstool, and the Caesars Sportsbook joined the party throughout 2021. Golden Nugget and Bally Bet have also obtained licenses to offer sports betting in Virginia – but have yet to launch at the time of writing.
The absence of any land-based casinos in the Mother of States looks set to change in the near future. There are brick-and-mortar casinos featuring retail sportsbooks planned for several cities, including Norfolk, Danville, Portsmouth, and Bristol. There’s plenty of action to enjoy on the best sports betting apps in Virginia in the meantime.
Who Should I Use My Mobile to Place Sports Bets?
All the licensed sports betting sites in Virginia are available in a mobile-optimized format, so you’ll be able to get into the action via desktop, smartphone, or tablet. Better still, Virginia sportsbooks – including DraftKings and BetMGM – offer native mobile betting apps for mobile devices running on either Android or iOS.
Many bettors find that these bespoke betting apps for Virginia have the edge over mobile-optimized websites, not least because the apps are designed especially for specific devices. This tailored approach ensures that everything fits perfectly on the screen. Since mobile apps store data locally on a device, they also tend to load more quickly than mobile-optimized sites. This will prove handy if you are a fan of in-play betting, where every second counts.
The benefits of Virginia betting apps also extend to push notifications that you can set up to deliver the latest betting bonuses, odds boost offers, and promo codes directly to the home screen of your device.
Mobile Apps vs Mobile Sites
Comparing Mobile-Optimized Sites and Native Apps
Let’s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of web browser sportsbooks versus mobile sports betting apps.
Pros
- Designed for specific mobile devices
- Load faster as data is stored locally
- Push notifications for promo codes
- Improved security features
Cons
- Uses storage space on devices
- Not available for all devices
Pros
- Available for various devices
- Optimized for mobile use
- Doesn’t use storage space on devices
Cons
- Not tailored to specific mobile devices
- Push notifications are not available
- Load slower than mobile betting apps
Claim a Bonus From a Virginia Sportsbook
Whether you’re a regular user of sportsbook apps or are thinking of placing your first online wager, there are plenty of sports betting bonuses up for grabs from Virginia online sportsbooks and betting apps.
No Deposit Bonus
As the name suggests, no deposit bonuses don’t require any financial outlay from you. These bonuses usually take the form of free bets, and you’ll often see them pop up as a welcome bonus for new customers or as recurring freebies for active members. You may also see no deposit promotions offered in the run-up to popular sporting events like March Madness or the Super Bowl. Just remember that strings will normally be attached in the form of wagering requirements, max winning caps, and other conditions.
First Deposit Bonus
Sportsbooks will often match the value of your first deposit with a free bet. These offers can look something like ‘Deposit $50, Get a $50 Free Bet.’ The percentage match may vary, but the bonuses work in the same way. Some sports betting sites may ask you to place a qualifying first bet in order to claim your free bet bonus.
Cashback
A cashback bonus, also known as a risk-free bet, returns some – or all – of your stake if you lose a bet. The amount you’re eligible to get back will differ widely between Virginia sports betting apps, though the very best deals are often reserved for new customers and can cover stakes that reach into the thousands of dollars. This cashback is often given in bonus funds, so there may be wagering requirements attached.
Odds Boosts
Odds boosts are a common type of betting bonus for horse racing events, but you’ll also find them available on a wide variety of other sports. While the best online sportsbooks in Virginia can offer odds boosts as a welcome bonus for new punters, it’s more likely that you’ll see these enhanced prices pop up as regular promotions for returning bettors.
Parlay Bonuses
Parlays can ramp up potential winnings by multiplying odds for different selections, or legs. Parlay bonuses make lucky bettors even luckier by applying a percentage boost to winnings. Sportsbooks also sometimes provide parlay bonuses in the form of insurance that will return your stake if the parlay misses out on a win by one leg.
Which Sports Can I Bet On?
No matter what sport you follow, there’s a good chance you’ll find relevant sports betting markets on Virginia online betting apps. Here are just some of the sports that bettors are wagering on via sportsbook apps in the Old Dominion:
- Aussie rules football
- Auto racing (Constructors, IndyCar, NASCAR, Formula One)
- Baseball (MLB, NCAA, Triple-A)
- Basketball (NBA, NCAA, IBF, WNBA, Euro)
- Boxing (ABCCS, IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC)
- Cricket (World Cup, ICC)
- Cycling (UCI)
- Football (NFL, NCAA, AFL, CFKL, XFL)
- Golf (PGA, Masters, etc.)
- Hockey (NHL, NCAA, KHL, World Championships)
- Lacrosse (NCAA)
- MMA (UFC, One Championship)
- Olympics (Summer, Winter, Para)
- Rugby (NRL, Four Nations, Six Nations, World Cup, World Rugby)
- Sailing (America’s Cup, International Sailing Federation)
- Soccer (NCAA, UEFA, FIFA, Professional Leagues)
- Softball (NCAA)
- Tennis (Open, WTA, ITF, ATP, NCAA, USTA)
- Track and Field (NCAA, IAAF)
What are the Types of Bets I Can Place at a Virginia Sportsbook?
Virginia sportsbook apps offer plenty of ways to back your favorite teams and athletes. Here are some of the wagers that sports bettors in the state are putting on their bet slips.
- Totals (Over/Under)
- Points betting (Points Spread)
- Futures
- Prop bets (Propositions)
- Moneyline
- Parlays (Pleasers/Teasers/Round Robins)
Bet on the Action as it Happens In-Play
Of all the different betting options available to Virginia sports fans, live betting is perhaps the most exciting. As the name suggests, this type of betting allows bettors to wager on a sporting event that’s currently underway, rather than on the outcome of a game or match taking place in the future.
A lot of the excitement lies in the fact that the odds and bets on the table change all the time. Will Dustin Hopkins score the next field goal for the Washington Football Team? Will the Washington Capitals secure victory over the New York Rangers in a sudden-death or shootout scenario? You get the idea. To help you make smarter betting decisions, Virginia sports betting apps can offer a mix of animated graphics, real-time stats, and tips. For some sports, you can even watch a live stream of the event on the mobile app. In-play betting is available on a wide range of sports, including tennis, baseball, football, hockey, and more, so you’ll always find something interesting to wager on.
Claim Your Funds Early by Cashing Out
A super-handy option offered by many of Virginia’s best sports betting apps, the cashout feature allows you to settle a bet early, before the outcome is even known. This can be a real benefit for in-play bettors.
Let’s imagine you’re following the boxing action as Tyson Fury takes on Anthony Joshua. You’ve got Fury to win on your bet slip and he has a narrow lead on the scorecards, but Joshua looks like he’s in no mood to lose. If you feel like the tide may turn, now could be a wise time to cash out your bet on Fury. In doing so, you might accept a lower-value win than if you’d let your wager play out, but you do secure a profit that would otherwise be lost if Joshua was to land a sudden knockout blow.
Virginia sports betting sites can also offer partial cash out options, allowing you to lock in a cash return on a portion of your bet while allowing the rest of your stake to run. Only time will tell if it’s the right decision to cash out a wager, but it’s an option that could well save the day on a bet that might otherwise go on to lose.
FAQs
Yes. Each one of the Virginia betting apps has minimum system requirements for Android and iOS devices. These can vary, so it’s worth checking whether, say, you’ll need iOS 10.3 or above, or Android 5.0 or above. You can check the system requirements on the App Store, Google Play Store, or sportsbook website.
Yes. To place bets on a Virginia mobile app, you’ll need to prove your identity and age. This verification often happens automatically during the signup process, but you may also need to upload supporting documentation. This all helps to prevent underage gambling and money laundering, so it’s a process you must complete.
Along with online and mobile sports betting, legal forms of gambling in Virginia include daily fantasy sports, historical and live horse racing, and lottery games. Brick-and-mortar Virginia casinos look set to open in 2022/2023, so it seems possible that Virginia lawmakers may also legalize online casinos in the future.
Holders of a sports betting license issued by the Virginia Lottery are liable to pay tax to the Commonwealth of Virginia. The tax rate currently sits at 15%, with the regulator allocating 2.5% of these funds to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund. The remaining 97.5% of funds go to the state’s general coffers.
Online and mobile sportsbooks in Virginia offer various payment methods, so it’s all but guaranteed that you’ll find a banking option to suit. Popular payment methods include credit and debit cards, e-wallets like PayPal and Neteller, and bank transfers. Options like prepaid cards and carrier billing services are often also available. Be sure to confirm that your chosen banking methods are eligible for any bonus offers you’re trying to claim.
Not yet. Interestingly, PointsBet does have a holding page to encourage Virginia bettors to sign up in its pre-launch phase. Compare.bet will keep you up to speed as things progress.
