When it comes to online gambling, Virginia has had very few opportunities to offer - until very recently. So if you’re hoping to make sense of what is and isn’t legal in Old Dominion, you’ve come to the right place.
Here at CaptainGambling.com we can tell you all about online gambling in Virginia, but our help doesn’t stop there! We’ve got the complete lowdown on all the top operators too, so you can be sure of having a safe and reputable betting experience every time you make an online wager.
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Experienced bettor or first-timer – we’re here for everyone!
We firmly believe that a great betting experience should be available to everyone, so you’ll find suitable advice here at CaptainGambling.com, regardless of how many times you’ve placed a bet in the past. And we cover all types of gambling too, from classic three-reel slots games to high-roller table and live dealer casino games. If you’re more of a sports betting fan, we’ve got a ton of advice about tracking down your perfect online sportsbook, together with detailed information about all the tempting introductory offers you could claim.
And our advice isn’t limited to the commonwealth of Virginia either. You can sign up and bet online in other states too, just as long as you’re physically present within state lines when placing your wagers. So if you’d like to know about
online gambling in Washington, or the best
Colorado gambling sites
to join, we can help with that too!
Is online gambling legal in VA?
Old Dominion is unique in being the only state to permit online sports betting before having any retail sportsbook opportunities. But online casinos aren’t legal right now, although we have high hopes that things could change before too long, as land-based casinos are heading this way very soon!
Towards the end of 2020 the residents of Virginia voted to legalize bricks-and-mortar casinos in a handful of cities. With Portsmouth and Norfolk both on the list, bettors living in the Chesapeake Bay area will find themselves particularly well served with local gambling opportunities. Further casinos are set to open in Danville and Bristol too, and Richmond also seemed likely to benefit, although that plan has fallen by the wayside for now.
Good news for Virginia sports bettors
Once land-based casinos officially open their doors in Virginia, which is expected to happen late in 2022 or early in 2023, retail sportsbooks are likely to become available within their premises too. But you don’t have to wait until then to place sporting wagers in the Mother of States, as online sportsbooks became legal in January 2021, just in time for the Super Bowl championships.
That means you can legally sign up to one of several state-regulated sports betting sites from anywhere in Virginia, at any time of the day or night. And with land-based casinos now legalized too, we think it’s only a matter of time before other forms of online gambling in Virginia also become acceptable.
Editor’s recommendation – our favorite sports betting operator in Virginia
There’s a lot to consider when choosing your perfect online sportsbook, so we’re always a little reluctant to pick out one single operator that might appeal to all-comers. But if we had our backs to the wall, we’d have to say that FanDuel gets our vote as the top operator currently available in Old Dominion.
FanDuel was actually the first sportsbook to accept signups from Virginia, so it’s kind of fitting that we’ve made it our top choice. But it takes more than being quick off the mark to get a thumbs up from us, so you can rest assured we’ve done our research and we’re delighted with what we found! FanDuel is a safe and reputable operator with a great industry reputation, so you can sign up, deposit money and place sporting wagers with complete confidence.
Better still, there’s a great promotional offer for Virginia sports betting fans signing up as first-time members at FanDuel. Place your first sporting wager on the site and it comes with a risk-free guarantee: if you don’t win, you’ll receive your stake back as bonus bets, up to a maximum value of $1,000. That’s quite an offer, and one that we think will go down particularly well here in Virginia!
Five top tips for a secure and fair online gambling experience in Virginia
We want you to have a safe and legitimate gambling experience when you sign up to a Virginia betting site, so be sure to follow these five top tips from our experts.
1 Check licenses and security features
There’s very little difference between a scam gambling operator and a genuine one, which is why it’s so important to check out the licensing and security details before signing up. All reputable operators will proudly display their credentials, usually at the foot of every page, but sometimes this information can be tucked away in the About or Help pages.
2 Read our operator reviews
We’ve got all the reputable Virginia
online gambling sites
listed right here on our site, so our reviews make a great starting point. Choosing the right operator for your needs is essential, but it helps to know that we’ve already picked out the top operators, so you can be sure every site we recommend is safe, legal and entirely reputable. That’s really important when you’ll be depositing money and inputting personal information on a betting site.
3 See what other site users have to say
Dissatisfied customers can easily express their opinions online these days, making it easy for the rest of us to find out more! We recommend undertaking a quick internet search of your shortlisted VA online gambling sites, to check for any user comments or reviews. Bad news tends to travel faster than good news, so if you can’t find anything much online, that’s usually a good sign!
4 Pick the best bonus for you
When it comes to online gambling Virginia sports bettors have plenty of options, and all of them have tempting introductory bonus offers. You’ll find no-deposit bonuses, risk-free first bets and deposit match bonuses, which could promise up to $1000 or more in bonus funds. But rather than going for the highest available sum, we recommend choosing a bonus that you’ll really benefit from, so take your time over making your choice.
5 Consider your future gambling options
Right now, online sportsbooks are legal in Virginia, but not online casinos. That could all change though, especially now that land-based casinos have been given the go-ahead, so it’s wise to keep your options open. If you’re intending to sign up to an online casino in the Mother of States just as soon as they go live, then you might want to consider a sportsbook operator that also has a casino entity. It’ll make it easier to keep track of all your online betting activities if you keep them all with one operator, so this could be worth bearing in mind when selecting a Virginia sportsbook.
Here's what we look for when evaluating gambling operators in Virginia
It makes no difference whether we’re assessing operators in Virginia, tracking down the best
Wyoming gambling sites, or trying to source the best opportunities for
online gambling West Virginia
has to offer – we always conduct the same series of checks. We’re determined to leave no stone unturned in our quest to bring our site visitors the true facts they need to know, so here are some of the things we’re looking out for:
Licenses We expect to see valid and up to date licenses issued by a reputable governing body.
Security We want to see confirmation of SSL technology that keeps customer data safe. And we also check for separate bank accounts for client funds, as an extra layer of security for bettors.
Site design Our experts are looking out for great site design that displays perfectly across all devices. Where downloadable apps are available, we’ll let you know about them too.
User experience Fast loading times, clear navigation and easy access to all parts of the site are a necessity. We mark operators down if we have to go searching for account information or access to help and support.
Great choice of betting opportunities Whether you want to wager on NBA or motorsports, we expect to see a good range of options, with betting odds and limits that are suitable for most types of sports betting fans.
Customer support An in-depth FAQ section is particularly welcome, but what we really want to see is round-the-clock customer support with a range of contact options, preferably including Live Chat for immediate help when it’s needed.
Payment options We’re looking for a great range of deposit methods and a fast response to withdrawal requests.
Bonuses and rewards In addition to a generous welcome bonus, we like to see plenty of ongoing promotions and rewards that add extra value to every wagering opportunity.
Finding your perfect operator for online gambling in VA
As we’ve seen, when it comes to online gambling Virginia has plenty to offer sports betting enthusiasts, and we’re on hand to help you make sense of your options. But you can help yourself even further by defining the exact experience you’re hoping for, so you can track down the perfect operator for your needs. And answering these questions can help with that:
What sports do you enjoy wagering on?
Whatever your sporting interests, make sure you pick a sportsbook that offers plenty of opportunities to wager on them.
What’s your sports betting budget?
Take a look around a few online sportsbooks and you’ll see that they all have a target audience in mind. A low-risk bettor signed up to a high-risk sports betting site isn’t going to have the best experience, so pick a site aimed at your preferred level of sports betting.
When do you like to wager?
You’ll find Virginia internet gambling sites come with a variety of customer support operating hours. If you regularly like to place sporting wagers at unsociable hours, it’s worth looking for an operator offering 24/7 support, so you can be sure of accessing help when you need it most.
How experienced are you?
If you don’t have much experience of placing online sports bets, it’s sensible to look for a sportsbook that keeps things simple. Some operators have onsite betting guides to help you get started – and don’t forget to browse through the pages on our website too, as we’ve got loads of useful tips and tricks to enhance your betting experience.
Conclusion – discover the best online gambling sites in Virginia!
By now, you’ve hopefully gained a better understanding of what forms of online gambling Virginia permits, as well as the future potential for online casinos to start operating at some point in the future. And you can rest assured that we’ll be ready and waiting to tell you all about new opportunities as they become available.
Here at CaptainGambling.com we’re committed to bringing you all the very latest updates about the current
legal gambling states, and helping you track down your perfect operators. You can get started straight away with online sports betting, so be sure to read our operator reviews and bonus comparison guides. And rest assured that we’ll be bringing you the complete Virginia online casino list just as soon as the activity goes live in the Mother of States. Keep checking back regularly to find out more!
Old Dominion is one of the latest states to see changes to its online gambling laws, and we’ve got absolutely everything you need to know! Come and find out what’s legal and what isn’t, and discover our insightful operator and bonus reviews, to help you find your perfect betting operator. If you’d like to start wagering online in Virginia, you need to read this first!
⛹ Are online sportsbooks legal in Virginia?
Sign up to an online sportsbook and you can enjoy placing a sporting wager no matter where you happen to find yourself. And we’ve got all you need to get started with sports betting in the Mother of States. Come and find out what your options are, as well as discovering how to make the most of them too!
🎲 Are online casinos legal in Virginia?
Things are moving fast in the state of Virginia, so if you’re interested in placing an online bet, you need to come and read this first. Our experts at CaptainGambling.com have absolutely all the facts you need to know, as well as reviews for all the current online betting operators in Old Dominion. Come and take a look right now – you’ll be so glad you did!
Whatever the sport. Whatever the moment. It's Never Ordinary at bet365. That's why if you sign up now you'll get the choice of two great New Customer Offers, the First Bet Safety Net up to $1000 or Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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