Which Betting Sites are Live in Virginia
Sports betting was legalized in Virginia on April 22, 2020. The first sportsbooks to start taking bets online was FanDuel on January 21, 2021. There are seven active platforms in the state.
PointsBet and bet365 will be added to the list soon. Here are the betting sites which are live in Virginia.
FanDuel
FanDuel was the first sportsbook to go live in Virginia. The site was granted market access through a relationship with the Washington Football Team. FanDuel is regarded as one of the best betting sites in the United States.
FanDuel’s wide selection of betting markets and props are what make the book so appealing. Additionally, bettors can receive a risk-free bet of up to $1,000. This bonus is not as good as DraftKings, but the betting experience on FanDuel is fantastic. See all Free Bets & Risk Free Bets
DraftKings
DraftKings Sportsbook Virginia can often feel cluttered for bettors. However, bonuses are why you must play on the site. The promotional opportunities never stop for bettors who play on DraftKings.
New players can receive a deposit bonus of up to $1,000 on the sportsbook. This is only applicable to your first deposit. DraftKings has many betting markets and competitive odds, but the book’s structure can be frustrating.
BetRivers
BetRivers is a growing brand that has become a factor in legal sports wagering because of its rewards system. BetRivers Virginia offers a program called iRush which is the best rewards program in sports betting.
Every wager you make on BetRivers will go towards your iRush status. The more you wager, the more you will receive in rewards. These can be redeemed for exclusive trips, casino experiences, and free bets.
BetMGM
BetMGM Sportsbook started as an online casino gaming site, but the site has transitioned to sports betting since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was repealed in 2018.
BetMGM provides bettors with a $600 risk-free wager. The site is excellent for American sports but comes up short with overseas markets. It’s sufficient for the typical American sports bettor.
William Hill
William Hill originated in the United Kingdom with retail betting shops. It has transitioned to the American market with an online sportsbook. William Hill is one of the most trusted names in sports betting.
The site emphasizes European sports and provides plenty of markets for competitions in the United States. If you like soccer, William Hill is the sportsbook that you should utilize in VA.
WynnBET
WynnBET is a competitive sportsbook that’s trusted throughout the nation. However, it comes up short of its competitors in VA. The competitive lines are a reason to utilize the sportsbook, but there are infrequent promotions and limited markets on WynnBET.
Unibet
Unibet is one of the leading betting providers worldwide, and the site is gaining a following in the United States. Unibet focuses on American sports, but the site also emphasizes niche markets like rugby, cricket, cycling, and lacrosse.
You can receive a $100 free bet and a $1,000 risk-free wager in VA if you join the site.
Conclusion
Virginia is becoming a solid mobile sports betting state. When PointsBet and bet365 join the market, there will be nine providers for people in VA to choose from for sports wagering.
Virginia Sports Betting: What Can You Bet On?
With Virginia sports betting being legal, bettors are becoming acclimated to the sports gambling climate in the state. One thing they are getting used to is the types of wagers that can be made in this market. Here, we will discuss the different sports that can be wagered on in Virginia now that sportsbooks have launched there.
Major Sports
As is the case in all other states where sports betting is legal, the major sports in America and abroad will be available for wagering. Pro football, basketball, baseball, and hockey will all be up for grabs. And major international sports like tennis and soccer will join them along with the likes of MMA, auto racing, and other major sports.
Within those sports, bettors can wager on popular markets like the point spread, moneyline, and over/under where applicable. Head-to-head wagering in sports like NASCAR will also be present depending on the sportsbook being used. And some sportsbooks may have creative betting markets of their own to add into the mix.
Niche Sports and eSports
In addition to the major sporting events that can be bet on year-round, Virginia sports betting will also include wagering on less mainstream sports from around the world. Everything from rugby to Australian football to table tennis will be available for wagering at these regulated sportsbooks in Virginia. While these may not be the most commonly bet on events, their availability allows bettors with knowledge in those sports the chance to put their predictions to the test.
Also noteworthy is the fact that eSports betting is available in the state of Virginia. Competitive gaming in titles like CounterStrike, DOTA 2, and League of Legends is very popular around the world. And bettors located in Virginia will get to try it for themselves as state law has allowed for wagering on eSports to take place.
What Can’t You Bet On?
While there are a lot of sports betting options to enjoy in Virginia, there are still some things that cannot be wagered on. The most prominent examples come in the form of politics and betting on Virginia college sports teams. Politics betting has become popular in the unregulated marketplace, with the US Presidential election generating a lot of attention every four years.
The inability to wager on in-state college athletics is a much more impactful facet of Virginia’s sports betting laws. Virginia is a state that features two of the biggest programs in college athletics in the Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Tech Hokies. And their membership in the ACC sees them play top programs in both football and basketball every year.
It will be interesting to see if the laws are changed in the future to allow wagering on Virginia and Virginia Tech sporting events. The revenue lost on action on those games could be something the state looks to recover in the future. But for now, they are one of the few things that Virginia bettors cannot bet on.
Banking and Deposit Options for Virginia Sportsbooks
Virginia is one of many states that has recently legalized sports gambling. With that legalization has come a wave of regulated sports betting options for players there, each of which comes with several banking and deposit options to choose from. Here, we will run down those banking options to prepare bettors for making their deposits in Virginia.
Virginia Sportsbook Deposit Options
There are two types of payment that are accepted at every legal sportsbook in Virginia. Those options are credit and debit cards, along with bank transfers. While many American banking institutions did not allow transactions to be performed with non-regulated sportsbook entities in the past, the newly regulated market in Virginia will allow bettors to make deposits with their cards or bank accounts.
Other options that are popular among sportsbooks that are legal in Virginia include e-wallets like PayPal, as well as prepaid cards at some sportsbooks, and even cash at their land-based casino partners. And as sports betting becomes more commonplace in the state, it is possible that even more banking options become possible in the future.
Advantages of Legal Sports Gambling
The biggest advantage to the current banking options at Virginia sportsbooks is the fact that there are methods that accommodate virtually every kind of player. Bettors who conduct all of their transactions through their cards or bank account are covered, as are bettors who opt not to have a bank account and use cash and prepaid cards for everything. The options for conducting financial transactions at sportsbooks are limited only by a bettor’s imagination.
Another huge plus to the available financial options at sportsbooks in Virginia is the fact that bettors know their information will be secure. In order to maintain a sports gambling license in the state, sportsbooks have to uphold a set of standards that include maintaining the security of personal information from players. This has resulted in payments being conducted securely regardless of which method is utilized.
Rules to Remember
While making deposits with Virginia sportsbooks is very easy, there are some rules that bettors should keep in mind. The most important rules to consider are related to deposit minimums and limits. Bettors should make sure that the method with which they want to deposit has minimum and maximum limits that work for what a bettor is trying to do.
For example, if a bettor likes to wager for high stakes and wants to make a large deposit, they should make sure that their sportsbook of choice allows deposits of that size with their preferred deposit method. This normally is not an issue, as most sportsbooks offer low minimums and high maximums for most deposit methods. But it is always better to know the rules before opening an account and attempting to make a deposit at a new sportsbook.
Bettors will also want to get acquainted with what withdrawals will look like at each sportsbook they are interested in using. Most sportsbooks allow withdrawals with all of the deposit methods they offer, with the exception being credit and debit cards. But bettors should get an idea as to how long withdrawals take to be completed, so they enter into future transactions with the right level of expectations.
Virginia Sports Betting License Timeline
Virginia sports betting is up and running throughout the commonwealth, with bettors having an array of options to choose from. But before those options were up and running, there was a waiting period to sit through. Here, we take a look at what that timeline looked like for both operators and bettors alike in Virginia.
Post-Legalization Waiting Period
In states where sports betting is made legal, there is typically a waiting period from the date of legalization to when bets are first placed. The reason for that is that those states need to iron out the details of legal sports gambling in that state. Things like tax rates, licensing fees for operators, and how bettors can place bets all have to be finalized before bets can be accepted, with not all of those items being addressed when legalization is signed into law.
Virginia was no exception to that rule, as there was a waiting period between the state’s July 2020 legalization date to when bets were first taken in the commonwealth. One area that was debated after Virginia’s sports betting bill was signed into law in July was the subject of a minimum hold on sports betting revenue. Virginia opted not to enforce such a policy, allowing them to move forward.
License Application Period
By the time that all of the issues were resolved in Virginia, sports betting operators were able to apply for licensing in the middle of October 2020. In this state, anywhere from four to 12 sportsbook operators were going to be allowed to offer sports gambling. This meant that the licensing application process was competitive, as several big names were able to apply for a license while there was still some degree of scarcity.
To this point, seven sportsbooks have begun operating in Virginia. But there have been 10 sportsbooks approved for operation in the state. It is expected that all 10 licensed operators will be operational at some point in 2021.
Launch in Virginia
The actual launch of sports betting in Virginia came in January of 2021, with DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and BetRivers being the first four sportsbooks to operate in the state by January. William Hill, Wynn Bet and Unibet followed in the subsequent months of 2021 to complete the current sports betting landscape in Virginia.
Bettors will notice that it took about six months to go from sports betting being made officially legal in July 2920 to the first sportsbook operators launching in the state in January of 2021. For new sportsbooks looking to enter the market, things will not necessarily take as long, as those operators will not have to wait for the legalization details in Virginia to become known.
It should also be noted that the time frame in other states may vary from this one. Different states have different time frames for legislative sessions to take place. While six months is a tidy time frame, it is not the standard by which every state should be measured against for setting up and launching legal sports gambling operations.
Land-based sportsbooks in Virginia
Sports betting is relatively new in Virginia. Mobile sports wagering launched on January 21, 2021. The bill that was passed in the Virginia legislature legalized retail and mobile betting, but the state is still awaiting the arrival of landlocked sportsbooks.
There are a few probable locations for sportsbooks in the state. The professional sports venues will be allowed to host landlocked betting locations. There are also casinos being built in the state in multiple towns, which will likely have retail sportsbooks.
Washington Football Team
The Washington Football Team currently plays at FedEx Field in Virginia. Washington is Virginia’s only professional sports franchise that competes in the state. The Washington Capitals of the NHL have their practice facilities in the state. However, the team competes in Washington D.C., so they are not in Virginia’s legal jurisdiction for sports wagering.
Washington’s lease with FedEx Field ends in 2027. It’s unclear if the team is going to extend the lease, but it looks unlikely. The Washington Football Team will probably not build a retail betting location at FedEx Field. If the organization does construct a site, it will likely be temporary, with a new stadium location looming in six seasons.
The Washington Football Team is partnered with FanDuel, one of the best retail betting companies in the United States. Therefore, a landlocked sportsbook is likely in the future.
NASCAR at Richmond or Martinsville
NASCAR is partnered with WynnBET. If NASCAR did implement a retail sportsbook, it would be unlikely that Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway would each offer a site.
Richmond would probably be the selection for NASCAR if the organization built a sportsbook because the track is in the state’s capital. Although, only a few significant races per year occur at Richmond, and mobile betting is available statewide.
This would probably be a losing investment for NASCAR and WynnBET, but it’s in the capital, so there is a chance.
Casinos in Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Richmond
Virginia has a limited gaming state. The addition of sports betting was monumental, and other states in the south propelled it by legalizing the form of gambling. The south is generally opposed to widespread gaming because of religious beliefs, but this preconceived notion is beginning to change.
On November 3 in the 2020 election, voters in Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Richmond all approved retail casinos. The Richmond casino will be decided in 2022, but it will potentially be operated by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe. This tribe already partnered with the city of Norfolk for a tribal casino agreement.
The city of Bristol is planning on opening a Hard Rock Casino and Hotel. Danville is believed to be constructing a Caesars Resort, which will feature more than a casino. There will also be a conference center, an entertainment arena, and a sportsbook.
The final location will be in Portsmouth, thanks to Rush Street Gaming. The Chicago-based gaming company is going to construct a 50-acre resort in the area.
Conclusion
Virginia is going to have a promising gaming economy in the future. Retail betting is expected to take off once the casinos are built in the state.