Virginia Sports Betting

Virginia is one of many US markets to authorize sports betting. Bettors in the states can now use one of many sportsbook platforms to place bets on their favorite teams.

If your first question was “Is sports betting legal in Virginia?” then the answer is a simple and resounding “yes.”

Your next question might be: what are the requirements to bet online in the state? They’re quite simple, really. First, you need to be 21 years of age or older. Second, you need to be physically located within the state of Virginia. That’s it! Whether you live in Virginia, are just passing through, or are visiting for a few days, you can bet as long as you’re within the state’s borders. This will be confirmed using geolocation. Your age will be confirmed using the details and identification you provide on registration.

Virginia has a thriving sports betting market replete with all of the big name sportsbooks, including:

• Caesars
• BetMGM
• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• BetRivers
• Unibet
• Sports Illustrated Sportsbook
• Golden Nugget
• Bally Bet
• PointsBet
• Barstool
• Hard Rock
• WynnBET
• Betway

That’s a massive selection, frankly. And the sports offering at these platforms is equally large. The only major sports that are prohibited are Virginia college teams. You can bet on NCAA teams outside of the state but not on Virginia-based college teams.

In 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection act, which put the power to legalize sports betting in the hands of the states.

Many states immediately pounced on the opportunity, legalizing sports betting swiftly following the decision. Virginia took things a bit slow. It would be nearly two years before Old Dominion would kickstart the legalization process.

April 2020 saw two bills pass through the state’s House and Senate, moving onto the Governor’s desk. Governor Ralph Northam signed both bills—HB 896 and SB 384—into law shortly afterward. In July 2020, sports betting became legal in Virginia. However, that just meant the regulatory process had begun, and it would be some time before online sportsbooks saw the light of day in Virginia.

The Virginia Lottery released its final regulations governing sports betting in September 2020 and started accepting license applications the following month. In January 2021, with licenses granted and regulations finalized, Virginia online sports betting launched in earnest.

The state is now a solid sports betting market. Its single trick bit of regulation is similar to that of many other states: no betting on in-state college teams. Prohibitions like this are a dime a dozen in the sports betting world, and numerous states with similar bans such as Illinois and New Jersey are looking to overturn them. No word on whether Virginia will follow suit, but it does seem likely in the mid-future.

There are more than a dozen online sportsbooks available to Virginia bettors, including many of the biggest names in sports betting. Here are some of our top choices for bettors in the state.

BetRivers

Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive has brought its BetRivers platform to the top of many a bettor’s online sportsbook favorites list. BetRivers is known for offering great localized promotions, competitive odds, and a solid app interface.

New users at BetRivers get a 100% deposit match bonus of up to $250. If you read further down this list to compare bonuses, this might seem like a low number. However, BetRivers offers this bonus with only a 1x playthrough requirement. Once you claim the bonus and bet through your deposit amount a single time, you’ll earn the full credit. This makes it a player-friendly bonus that’s a perfect fit for casual or novice bettors. Other sportsbooks have playthrough requirements of 5x, 10x, or even higher.

Sports Illustrated Sportsbook

The famous magazine has made the leap into the sports betting world. Sports Illustrated sportsbook is now available to Virginia bettors. It’s a special treat considering the sportsbook is live in only one other state: Colorado.

New users at Sports Illustrated can bet $20 and receive an extra $100 in free credits if the bet wins. The bet must be placed on odds of -200 or longer.

FanDuel

As far as all-around sportsbook performance goes, FanDuel is at the top of our list with a select few other platforms. FanDuel makes everything easy, from signing up to finding a wager to placing a bet and cashing out.

FanDuel’s interface makes placing any sort of bet simple, whether it’s a same game parlay or a straight moneyline bet. Everything is speedy and smooth within FanDuel’s app, making it a top-tier sportsbook

New FanDuel users in Virginia get a no sweat first bet up to $1,000. Place your first bet and if you lose, you’ll get the wagered amount back in site credits. If your first bet wins, you receive your payout as normal and the no sweat bonus expires.

DraftKings

There’s a reason FanDuel and DraftKings are often mentioned in the same breath. Both sportsbooks started as DFS platforms, often operating on shaky legal ground. Now, they’re both legal and regulated sportsbook juggernauts.

DraftKings is another top choice among sports bettors for very good reason. The app is smooth and easy to use with lightning-fast load times. DraftKings also has plenty of great ongoing promos for existing users.

New registrants at DraftKings get a 20% deposit match up to $1,000.

PointsBet

PointsBet may not be the first sportsbook that springs to mind when people mention betting platforms, but it’s well-deserving of your attention. PointsBet has all the trappings of its biggest competitors and then some. The odds are competitive, the promos are plentiful, and the ease-of-use is off the charts.

PointsBet’s name your bet feature lets you submit a request for a particular bet to the book’s oddsmakers. They will then offer your bet once the team assigns odds, so you can bet on virtually any market that’s legal in Virginia, even if it’s not originally listed.

Signing up for PointsBet gets you a $1,500 risk-free PointsBetting wager and a $500 risk-free traditional wager.

Unibet

Unibet is the perfect sportsbook for you if you like international sports alongside US-focused leagues. The site has robust offerings of soccer, cricket, rugby, and other globally popular sports.

Plus, Unibet offers one thing most other sportsbooks don’t: different odds formats. If you prefer fractional or decimal odds to American odds displays, Unibet allows you to switch between all three at will.

Unibet’s Virginia sign-up bonus is a $100 risk-free first bet.

BetMGM

BetMGM has a strong sportsbook offering for Virginia bettors. The self-proclaimed “king of sportsbooks” can back up its claims with great bonuses, competitive market depth, and a lot of great promos

New BetMGM bettors get up to $1,000 as a risk-free first bet bonus.

More VA Sportsbooks

Other sportsbooks available to Virginia bettors include:

• Caesars
• Golden Nugget
• Bally Bet
• Barstool
• Hard Rock
• WynnBET
• Betway

Truthfully, you can’t go wrong with any of the legal sportsbook offerings in Virginia. There’s plenty to enjoy at each platform, and a lot of your experience will come down to personal preference.

Ready to pick your sportsbook and get started with Virginia sports betting? Here is our step-by-step guide.

First, choose your preferred sportsbook. You can choose multiple if you’d like; there’s no limit to how many you can sign up with beyond the number of live sportsbooks in the state.

Next, download the app or apps of the sportsbook(s) you’ve chosen. You can get the apps in the iOS App Store or Google Play Store. You can also head to the sportsbook’s desktop site if you prefer, but you’ll need to get a separate geolocation plugin. You won’t be tied to mobile or desktop forever; you can switch between them after you’ve created your account.

Select “register” to begin the account creation process. If you’ve ever created an account with an online bank or store, the process will feel familiar to you. Follow the prompts in the app or on the website, and be prepared to submit the following information:

• Your name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Email
• Phone number
• Social Security Number
• Government-issued photo ID

Next, make a deposit. Use any of the approved payment methods available at your chosen sportsbook. If PayPal is an option, we recommend using it. PayPal has a high success rate and offers secure payments without much risk of declined transactions. Conversely, we recommend you steer clear of credit/debit cards and they often come with issues and can easily be declined by issuing banks or creditors.

Now it’s time to find your ideal bet. Sift through what’s popular on the sportsbook home page or navigate to your preferred game/match. Find the bet you’d like to place and select it to add it to your betslip.

Head to your betslip, then type your wager amount. The sportsbook will tell you how much you could win if the bet hits. Select “Place Bet” and wait for confirmation that your bet has been placed.

That’s it! Now all that’s left is to watch the game and hope for a win. If you have any issues throughout this process, get in touch with customer support.

Virginia itself doesn’t have any major league teams, but Washington D.C. does, giving Virginians plenty of betting fodder.

NFL: Washington Commanders

They’re not just the Washington Football Team anymore! The Washington Commanders are available to bet on at every Virginia sportsbook. Football is a massive draw for sportsbooks, and bettors all along the spectrum—seasoned veterans and casuals alike—flock to the platforms to place bets on NFL teams.

Virginia sports bettors can find a plethora of football bets on any platform. Straight bets, point spreads, totals, and any number of props are always on offer.

NBA: Washington Wizards

The NBA provides some great betting opportunities with its wide array of player stats and correlated prop bets. You can bet on every NBA team at Virginia’s sportsbooks, including the Washington Wizards.

MLB: Washington Nationals

Baseball is flush with stats, and the slow pace of play makes it an ideal candidate for live betting, especially if you’re already familiar with the intricacies of the sport. Virginia bettors can wager on the Washington nationals or any other MLB team.

NHL: Washington Capitals

Hockey bettors can place wagers on the Washington Capitals and any of the other teams in the NHL. Hockey betting opportunity is plentiful in Virginia.

Solo Sports: Golf, Tennis, And More

Team sports aren’t your only options. Virginia sportsbooks offer golf, tennis, and other non-team sports in droves. If you have a favorite tennis star or golf pro, you can find numerous bets on those sports.

NCAA Teams

College betting is legal in Virginia with a catch: no betting on in-state teams. Any other state’s teams are fair game, though. So March Madness and the NCAA football season are prime betting opportunities, despite the prohibition on Virginia teams.

Betting at Virginia’s legal and regulated sportsbooks comes with lots of benefits over using illegal or offshore sites. Here are just a few.

Supporting The State

When you use a Virginia sportsbook, you’re supporting a business that pays taxes to the state. Those taxes, in theory at least, are funneled back into projects to improve local communities and the well-being of Virginians. Offshore books pay no US taxes, and therefore don’t ladder support back down to the community where you’re using the sportsbook.

Solid Customer Service

Virginia sportsbooks want you to stay engaged and active on the platform. This means if you encounter an issue, it’s to the sportsbook’s advantage to resolve it and get you back to betting with as few road bumps as possible. For this reason, legal sportsbooks often have robust customer service options, including long hours and multiple channels: live chat, phone, and email support. Offshore books have limited hours and support channels, making it difficult to solve any problems you have with any sort of speed.

Competitive Depth And Odds

Virginia sportsbooks are competing for your business. They’ll fight each other by way of odds, lines, and market depth. If you have accounts at multiple sportsbooks, you can shop around to find the most advantageous line on your preferred bet, giving yourself the maximum profit on a win.

Most, if not all, of Virginia’s sportsbooks offer mobile apps.

You can get a sportsbook’s app by heading to the Google Play Store or iOS App Store for Android or iOS devices, respectively. Download the app as you would with any other, then wait for it to install.

Mobile sports betting comes with obvious benefits. First, it’s all on the go. If you’re out and about, you can place your bets anywhere you have a cell signal or wifi. This is ideal if you’re watching a game live outside of your home. If you’re live betting, this is especially helpful, because speed and convenience are of the essence.

Overall, most bettors tend to prefer mobile sports betting because it’s simple and convenient. It’s easier to pull out your phone and sign in than it is to sit at your computer and install a separate geolocation app just to access a sportsbook. Phones are just as fast if not faster than many computers these days, so the on-the-go convenience beats out desktop betting in many ways.

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