Extensive regulations go to Governor’s desk, followed by public comment period
July 21, 2021
Casino gaming in Virginia moved forward one more step today with approval by the Virginia Lottery Board of proposed permanent casino gaming regulations. The regulations build upon initial emergency casino regulations previously approved by the Board on February 3. The proposed permanent regulations now go to the Governor for approval, after which there will be a 60-day public comment period, leading up to final approval by the Lottery Board.
The regulations are posted for viewing here. Click the link, then click “Regulations,” then click “Proposed Permanent Regulations.”
“The Lottery’s Gaming Compliance Department and Office of General Counsel have been diligently working to set up the regulatory and licensing framework to ensure casino gaming in Virginia is secure and transparent,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kevin Hall. “In this role, we see the Lottery as the public’s watchdog, confirming that the law and regulations are followed, and the integrity of casino gambling is protected.”
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Currently there are four proposed land-based casinos in Virginia: in Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth. Each was approved by voters in local referenda in November 2020. A fifth proposed casino, in the City of Richmond, is on a different timetable and has not yet been approved by local voters. It is expected to be on the ballot in November 2021.
The application period for casino operators opened in April 2021. As materials are submitted, the Lottery will conduct a comprehensive review of each, which includes criminal history and financial review.
The Virginia General Assembly assigned regulatory oversight of expanded gaming in the Commonwealth to the Virginia Lottery in 2020. Expanded gaming is comprised of both land-based casinos and mobile sports wagering.
Lottery Board members today also received an update on mobile sports wagering, which launched in Virginia in late January 2021. There are ten approved permit holders to provide sports betting in the Commonwealth, with seven currently accepting wagers. For a list of those permit holders, click here and then click on the “Approvals” tab.
Sports betting and casino regulations, information and approvals can be viewed at www.vagamingregulations.com, a microsite providing key information and public transparency on issues around expanded gaming.
The Virginia Lottery was created in a 1987 referendum by Virginia voters. Under legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020, the Lottery also assumed regulatory oversight of sports wagering and casino gaming in the Commonwealth. While proceeds from traditional games offered by the Lottery support a variety of K-12 programs, the taxes generated by sports wagering and casino gaming will benefit other priorities of the Commonwealth.