Compare every legal Virginia sportsbook: the licensed sports betting apps, the rules that set the Commonwealth apart, and how the market works before you place a bet.
In this article 10 sections
- Every legal Virginia sportsbook
- Virginia sports betting: facts and figures
- Is sports betting legal in Virginia?
- Who operates Virginia sportsbooks
- How Virginia sports betting works
- What you can bet on in Virginia
- Taxes, deposits and payouts in Virginia
- Virginia betting apps
- Responsible gambling in Virginia
- Virginia sports betting in 2027
Every legal Virginia sportsbook
Bally Bet
License: Bally's Interactive, LLC · Live since Nov 2021
Approved by Virginia regulators in March 2021 alongside Barstool, Bally Bet has no casino in the state and operates on its own permit as Bally's Interactive, LLC. Its board covers pro and college markets, minus games involving Virginia schools and college player props.
bet365
License: Hillside (Virginia), LLC · Live since Jan 2023
Its Virginia launch in early 2023 came with a multi-year deal as an official sports betting partner of the Washington Commanders. The permit is held by Hillside (Virginia), LLC, and the app is built around live betting, boosts and a display players can personalize.
BetMGM
License: BetMGM, LLC · Live since Jan 2021
MGM Resorts' online arm went live in Virginia in early 2021, shortly after the market opened, on a permit not tied to any casino. Bets earn MGM Rewards points, which can be used at MGM National Harbor just across the Potomac, and the app's Edit My Bet tool lets you change a wager after placing it.
BetRivers
License: Rivers Portsmouth Gaming, LLC d/b/a Rivers Casino Portsmouth · Live since Jan 2021
Rush Street's app is the online partner of Rivers Casino Portsmouth, which opened in January 2023 and houses the BetRivers retail sportsbook. Virginia bettors earn iRush Rewards on the app, though the state's ban on bets involving Virginia college teams applies here as everywhere.
Caesars Sportsbook
License: Caesars Virginia, LLC · Live since Feb 2021
Caesars Virginia, the casino resort in Danville that opened its permanent building in December 2024, holds this permit. The app first launched as William Hill in February 2021, and bets earn Caesars Rewards credits that work at the Danville property and across Caesars hotels.
DraftKings Sportsbook
License: Crown Virginia Gaming, LLC · Live since Jan 2021
DraftKings became Virginia's second sportsbook brand in January 2021, a week after FanDuel opened the market, and operates as Crown Virginia Gaming. It pioneered early cash-out in the US, but state law keeps Virginia college teams and all college player props off its board.
Fanatics Sportsbook
License: Colonial Downs Group, LLC · Live since Nov 2023
Colonial Downs, the New Kent County racetrack, holds the permit Fanatics took over from PointsBet in November 2023. Wagers earn FanCash for merchandise or bonus bets, and Northern Virginia fans can also bet in person at the Fanatics sportsbook at the Commanders' Maryland stadium.
FanDuel Sportsbook
License: Betfair Interactive US LLC (with the Washington Commanders) · Live since Jan 2021
Virginia's first legal online bet was placed with FanDuel on January 21, 2021, through the permit it shares with the Washington Commanders. Same-game parlays sit front and center in an app most players find easy to use.
Hard Rock Bet
License: HR Bristol, LLC · Live since May 2022
Hard Rock Bristol holds the permit, and the app went live in May 2022 before the casino opened Virginia's first retail sportsbook that July. The permanent resort opened in November 2024, and online bets now earn Unity by Hard Rock tier credits usable on site.
theScore Bet
License: Penn Sports Interactive, LLC · Live since Aug 2021
PENN entered Virginia as Barstool Sportsbook in August 2021, rebranded to ESPN BET in late 2023 and relaunched as theScore Bet on December 1, 2025. The permit belongs to Penn Sports Interactive, and the app pairs betting with theScore's news and live scores.
Virginia came online in January 2021 and has grown into one of the bigger markets on the East Coast. It’s run by the Virginia Lottery, taxes operators 15%, and supports a broad field of apps. You must be 21 and in-state. There’s no in-state major pro team, so the Commanders, Capitals and Wizards up the road and the UVA and Virginia Tech rivalry carry the local interest.
None of our sportsbook partners currently operate in Virginia, so this page is an editorial guide to the licensed field rather than a list of offers.
Virginia sports betting: facts and figures
| Online betting | Yes, statewide via mobile apps |
| Retail betting | Yes, at the Commonwealth’s casinos |
| Legal age | 21+ |
| Regulator | Virginia Lottery |
| Law | HB 896 and SB 384, signed by Gov. Ralph Northam in 2020 |
| Launch | January 21, 2021 |
| Remote registration | Yes; you must be in Virginia to bet |
| Online casinos | Not legal |
| Tax on operator revenue | 15% of adjusted gross revenue |
Is sports betting legal in Virginia?
Yes. Gov. Ralph Northam signed HB 896 and SB 384 in April 2020, and the Virginia Lottery took its first legal online bets on January 21, 2021, when FanDuel went live. Virginia built its market around mobile from day one: when wagering launched there were no retail sportsbooks at all, and every bet was placed on a phone or computer.
The Virginia Lottery licenses, audits and enforces. You must be 21 or older and physically in Virginia to place a wager, confirmed by geolocation.
Who operates Virginia sportsbooks
Virginia supports one of the deeper fields in the region. The field has shifted over time (Betfred exited in 2024), but these are the main online books:
| Sportsbook | Mobile app | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | iOS and Android | First to launch in January 2021 |
| DraftKings | iOS and Android | National market leader |
| BetMGM | iOS and Android | MGM Rewards integration |
| Caesars Sportsbook | iOS and Android | Tied to Caesars Virginia in Danville |
| bet365 | iOS and Android | Deep in-play markets |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | iOS and Android | FanCash rewards |
| BetRivers | iOS and Android | Rush Street runs Rivers Casino Portsmouth |
| Hard Rock Bet | iOS and Android | Tied to Hard Rock Bristol |
| theScore Bet | iOS and Android | Penn Entertainment’s book |
This is editorial coverage only. Welcome offers change frequently and vary by state; check each operator’s own terms page before opting in.
How Virginia sports betting works
Every Virginia sportsbook is licensed by the Virginia Lottery and uses geolocation to confirm you are inside Virginia before each bet. You can open and fund an account from anywhere, but you must be within state lines to place a wager, and you must be 21 or older.
That matters in Northern Virginia, where Arlington and Alexandria sit across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., and Maryland is minutes away. Your app goes by where your phone is: cross the river and you’re under D.C. or Maryland rules instead.
What you can bet on in Virginia
Virginia sportsbooks cover every major US and international league: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer, tennis, golf, MMA and motorsport, with moneylines, spreads, totals, parlays, same-game parlays, futures, player props and live in-play markets. Virginia’s rules also bar wagering on youth sports, and the Lottery approves which event types books can offer.
Betting on Virginia college teams
Virginia’s 2020 law barred bets on games involving the Commonwealth’s colleges, such as UVA and Virginia Tech, even when they play out of state. Lawmakers have revisited that restriction since, so check what each app currently lists for the Cavaliers, Hokies, VCU, James Madison, Old Dominion and Liberty before game day. Bets on other college games nationally are allowed.
Local and global events to bet on in Virginia
With no in-state major pro franchise, action concentrates on the nearby Washington Commanders, Capitals and Wizards, the wider NFL and NBA, and motorsport: Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway both host NASCAR Cup Series races. Virginia apps also carry the national calendar, from the Super Bowl and March Madness to the golf majors and the Grand Slams.
Bet types explained
The moneyline backs a winner straight up, the Commanders for instance, and a point spread adds a margin to balance favorite and underdog. A totals bet shifts the focus to combined scoring, parlays reward players who tie several picks together on one slip (every leg must hit), same-game parlays do that within a single game, and futures plus live betting round out the menu as the odds move during play.
Taxes, deposits and payouts in Virginia
Virginia taxes operators at 15% of adjusted gross revenue. Of that, 97.5% goes to the General Fund and 2.5% to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund.
For bettors, winnings are taxable income on your Virginia and federal returns, and larger wins trigger a W-2G. From the 2026 tax year, the federal deduction for gambling losses is capped at 90% of losses.
Licensed Virginia apps take the usual cashier menu (online banking, debit card, PayPal and operator-branded options), and for most bettors PayPal or online banking clears winnings fastest once your identity is verified. Your first withdrawal triggers a one-time identity (KYC) check.
Virginia betting apps
Choosing a Virginia sportsbook
Comparing Virginia sportsbooks comes down to a few things: the price on the markets you bet most, how stable the app stays under load, how fast withdrawals clear, and whether a welcome offer’s terms are genuinely worth claiming. Holding two or three accounts lets you line-shop, which over a full season matters far more than any single sign-up bonus.
How to find the best betting site in Virginia
Start with price: a half-point better on a Commanders spread beats almost any sign-up bonus over a season. Then weigh the things you feel every week: app stability on a busy Sunday, withdrawal speed, and whether a bonus’s wagering terms are clearable.
How to check whether a Virginia sportsbook is legal
A licensed Virginia book shows its Virginia Lottery approval in the app or footer, verifies you’re 21 or older, and runs a geolocation check before each bet. Offshore sites that skip ID checks or take crypto only aren’t regulated in Virginia, and you’d have no protection if a payout went wrong.
Responsible gambling in Virginia
Every licensed operator offers deposit, time and self-exclusion limits, and the Virginia Lottery runs a Voluntary Exclusion Program that covers all licensed sportsbooks. If betting stops being fun, set a limit or take a break. The Virginia problem gambling helpline is 1-888-532-3500, free and confidential, 24/7, and 1-800-GAMBLER also works from Virginia.
Virginia sports betting in 2027
Online casino returns to Richmond
SB 118 and HB 161, which would have legalized iGaming and ended online sweepstakes casinos, died in conference committee in March 2026. The 2027 session begins on January 13, and an iGaming bill is expected again.
Sweepstakes study due
The Senate carried SB 579, a standalone sweepstakes ban, to 2027 and asked the Virginia Lottery Board to convene a study group, with research due December 1. Its findings will shape the debate.
Prediction markets in the Fourth Circuit
Federal appeals courts split in 2026 over whether states can regulate Kalshi‘s sports contracts. Virginia sits in the Fourth Circuit, and New Jersey’s Supreme Court petition could settle the question nationally.
What is the best sportsbook in Virginia?
FanDuel and DraftKings are the biggest Virginia apps, BetMGM and Caesars add rewards tied to their casino groups, and Fanatics pays out in FanCash. Virginia bans betting on in-state college teams, so judge the books on NFL, NBA and national college markets.
How many sportsbooks are legal in Virginia?
Around nine major online books operate, including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, bet365, Fanatics, BetRivers, Hard Rock Bet and theScore Bet.
Can I bet on UVA and Virginia Tech in Virginia?
Virginia’s original law barred bets on in-state college teams. Lawmakers have revisited the rule, so check each app’s current markets for the Cavaliers and Hokies.
Do I have to live in Virginia to bet?
No. You only have to be physically inside Virginia when you place a bet. You can register and deposit from anywhere.
What is the legal sports betting age in Virginia?
21, online and at the Commonwealth’s casino sportsbooks.
Is FanDuel legal in Virginia?
Yes. FanDuel was the first sportsbook to launch in Virginia, on January 21, 2021.
Do I pay tax on sports betting winnings in Virginia?
Yes. Winnings are taxable on your Virginia and federal returns. The 15% rate is paid by operators.