Virginia subcommittee fails to advance iGaming legislation

The Senate General Laws and Technology Gaming subcommittee in Virginia has voted to reject Senate Bill 118 following a majority denial, which looks to legalize online casino gaming such as slots, poker and table games. 

SB 118 received three of the four required votes to be considered by Virginia’s full General Law and Technology Committee, but lawmakers will be allowed to amend the legislation for consideration at a future committee meeting. 

The iGaming bill would also allow for up to 15 operators to conduct online casino business across Virginia and require the entities to form market access agreements with one of the state’s five land-based gaming properties.

Each of the retail casinos would be eligible to partner with up to three operators, as SB 118 was originally introduced by Senator Mamie Locke to provide Virginia with an additional revenue-generating opportunity and combat the presence of unlicensed gaming platforms. 

“We can sit here and clutch our moralistic pearls all we want to. But it’s (online casino gaming) already being done. So, we can keep it illegal, or we can put up some guardrails,” Locke said during the subcommittee hearing. 

SB 118 has received support from operators such as Caesars Entertainment and Boyd Gaming, as well as those who are currently associated with the Sports Betting Alliance, including DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM.

Virginia legislature requires all Senate bills to advance out of its original chamber by February 17, creating a deadline for state lawmakers to modify SB 118 if iGaming were to be legalized in 2026. 

Those pushing back against the legislation include Churchill Downs Incorporated and the National Association Against iGaming, which fear land-based properties could lose up to $78.2m in annual tax revenue if online gambling were to be legalized in Virginia.