Online sports betting to start in Virginia

People in Virginia in the United States have long been sidelined when it comes to gambling, but it’s a safe proposition that sometime before the upcoming Super Bowl, they will be able to wager from the comfort of their couches as Virginia joins a growing list of states that allow sports wagering.

The Virginia Lottery is expected to give the go-ahead in January to what will likely be more than a dozen betting sites to take wagers from Virginians on numerous types of sports. Officials predict Virginians will respond by betting as much as US$400 million in 2021, and steadily increasing amounts thereafter.

The change is coming after Virginia legislators approved sports gaming for a state that had been a gambling holdout but is belatedly embracing the trend. The sports betting will precede the arrival of casinos in four cities that approved their construction in referendums last month, but are not expected to be open for several years.

Sports gambling, meanwhile, is imminent. Virginia Lottery director Kevin Hall said the state has received 25 applications from would-be players in the industry. The law requires the lottery to pick a minimum of four and a maximum of 12 providers.

In fact, Hall said, he expects that Virginia will approve more than 12 applications, because the law grants preference to professional sports organisations with a home in Virginia. So any applications submitted by the Washington NFL football team, the DC United soccer franchise and NASCAR could be approved in excess of the 12-vendor cap.

The football team did not respond to queries about its plans. Earlier this year, the Denver Broncos announced plans for a partnership with FanDuel – and subsequent deals with other operators – to offer a Broncos-branded betting experience. Hall said he anticipated that any sports clubs in Virginia that enter the market would do so through a similar partnership.

There will be no brick-and-mortar sportsbooks – only online options are permitted under the state law. Wagers are barred on games involving Virginia colleges. Bets on the Olympics won’t be allowed, either, to the chagrin of gaming sites that tried to convince state regulators it should be permitted.

Virginia is joining 19 other states that now have legalised sports gambling, according to the American Gaming Association, part of a rush that occurred after a 2018 US Supreme Court ruling that gave all states the option to allow wagering.

– AP