The progress of iGaming legalization bills in Virginia is creating widespread hope that it may become the ninth US state with legal online casinos. The Virginia House and Senate passed competing versions of multiple gambling bills.
resulting legislation would need another vote in both chambers
They’re now in conference committees to iron out differences before the legislative session ends on March 14. Three lawmakers from both the House and the Senate serve on these committees and will try to reach an agreement on a final bill. Then the resulting legislation would need another vote in both chambers before it could go to Governor Abigail Spanberger.
The main point of contention is the distribution of tax revenue from online casinos and the launch dates. House Bill 161 and Senate Bill 118 both propose a 20% tax on gross revenue and a 6% rate for protecting land-based casinos. However, the House bill would delay online casino launches until 2028, compared to a July 2027 start date under the Senate proposal.
Online gaming operators are closely monitoring the latest developments as they plan potential market entries.
Governor Spanberger favors gambling expansion once there’s a unified regulator set up to conduct oversight. The Senate prefers expanding the Lottery Commission’s existing role to also cover iGaming. The House calls for an independent Virginia Gaming Authority that’s completely separate from the lottery.
Both chambers included projected iGaming revenue in their budget proposals. House Bill 161’s sponsor, Marcus Simon, believes that iGaming could generate as much as $5.3bn in new revenue over five years.
