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Well hello there Virginia sports betting, glad you could join the party. That’s right, sports betting in the Commonwealth has officially arrived.
The Virginia Lottery has confirmed at least one mobile sports betting permit has been awarded to FanDuel.
What we know about the Jan. 21 launch of Virginia sports betting
According to a VA lottery spokesperson, FanDuel was approved as a sports betting operator on Wednesday through a partnership with the Washington Football Team (WFT).
Here is what the state lottery, the entity regulating sports betting, had to say:
“The first mobile sports betting permit has been awarded to FanDuel through its partnership with the Washington Football Team, which was granted “substantial and preferred consideration” by the Virginia General Assembly.
Decisions on additional permit awards are imminent, and we anticipate more than one sportsbook will be in a position to begin accepting legal wagers from Virginians in time for the Super Bowl on Feb. 7th.”
As part of the sports betting bill, professional sports teams that relocate their headquarters to Virginia are eligible to partner with a sportsbook operator. In this case, we have the WFT + FanDuel.
Remember, for now, Virginia sports betting will be mobile-only. Physical casinos have yet to be built, thus no retail sportsbooks.
Are there any sign-up offers for Virginia sports betting?
Yes, sign up with PlayUSA’s link above and get a promo bet of $1,000.
What Virginia sports betting apps are available now?
As mentioned above FanDuel Sportsbook is the first to launch in Virginia as of early afternoon. This is no surprise since FanDuel has been the first to market in several other states.
Virginia residents and guests can now download the FanDuel Sportsbook app for iOS or Android to get started.
With this launch, there are now 19 states with legal, regulated sports betting in the US. Of those 19 states, FanDuel is taking bets in 11 of them.
Potential future Virginia sportsbooks
As many as 12 online-only sportsbooks could be available, however, the identity of all potential operators has been kept under wraps. In October, the lottery announced it would not release the names of the 25 operators who submitted applications for sports betting permits.
Still, using deductive reasoning and looking at how sports betting has unfolded in other jurisdictions, we can provide a list of potential sportsbooks that could launch in the state. Some could launch in time for betting on the Feb. 7th Super Bowl.
Names you could see include:
- BetMGM
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- William Hill
- Barstool Sportsbook
- BetRivers
- PointsBet
- WynnBET
Virginia retail sports betting and casinos
As previously mentioned, retail sportsbooks and casino resorts will be coming to Virginia. Voters in five cities recently approved casino-resorts within city limits during the November elections.
Those cities are:
- Bristol
- Danville
- Norfolk
- Portsmouth
- Richmond
In addition to a casino, each property will have one retail sportsbook and one mobile app. Until then, here is a list of retail sportsbooks close to Virginia.
