Virginia Online Sports Betting
Virginia may not have a professional sports franchise, but there is a strong college presence in the form of the University of Virginia Cavaliers. Being a DFS friendly state, there is hope that Virginia may pass its own sports betting laws in the near future. But for now, residents can legally participate in VA online sports betting through licensed and regulated offshore sportsbooks.
This page is designed specifically for Virginia bettors and is packed with information related to licensed offshore sportsbooks, Daily Fantasy Sports, Virginia’s potential state-regulated and licensed sports betting market, as well as, a list of actively licensed offshore sportsbooks that accept VA bettors.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Virginia?
In 2011, three separate bills were passed that made it illegal to gamble on state-based gambling sites in Virginia. However, neither one of these VA gambling laws explicitly forbid the usage of licensed offshore sportsbook sites by VA patrons. Nor does the federal government place any restrictions on US citizens gambling at licensed offshore online sportsbooks, therefore, licensed offshore bookmakers provide the best option for safe and legally sanctioned sports betting.
Virginia's own domestic online betting platforms are restricted to pari-mutuel wagering and limited to online wagers placed at OTB outlets/terminals. VA's other domestically licensed online gambling forms like online sports gambling is currently unauthorized by the state legislature and thus illegal.
Top-Rated Virginia Online Sportsbooks
Navigating through the wide assortment of available licensed offshore VA online sportsbooks can be a difficult task. Which is why we completed the process of sifting through multiple online operators in order to pinpoint the best available licensed offshore sportsbooks which accept Virginia residents. These sites all hold current licensing and are regulated outside of the US, but that isn't all as these sites use military-grade security profiles to protect players' sensitive information, offer the most competitive betting odds, and provide hefty bonuses.
| Site Name | Bonus | Rating | Type | USA | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $1,000 |  | Sportsbook | Visit Site Full Review |
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 | $1,000 | | Sportsbook | Visit Site Full Review |
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 | $250 | | Sportsbook | Visit Site Full Review |
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 | $500 |  | Sportsbook | Visit Site | |
 | $2,500 | | Sportsbook | Visit Site Full Review |
Other Virginia Gambling Pages
Which Sports Teams Are Located In Virginia?
Virginia is home to the Cavaliers, a product of the NCAA Division I program at the University of Virginia. The ACC school is best known for their football, basketball, and baseball teams. As of late, their basketball team has been the top performing team and clinched the #1 seed in the ACC for March Madness. They were upset by a #16 seed, though Virginia is likely to repeat their conference dominance again.
Is Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Legal In Virginia?
Yes, Virginia was the first state to pass a law specifically naming DFS as a legal form of gambling. In many states, DFS exists in this gray area as lawmakers try to figure out whether or not it is a game of skill or game of chance. VA residents can legally participate in FanDuel, DraftKings, or any other DFS provider. However, Virginia has not passed any legislation permitting state-licensed sports wagering which works off the same providers, i.e. FanDuel and DraftKings sportsbook operations in other states like New Jersey.
Did Virginia Pass Sports Betting Legislation After The Repeal Of PASPA?
With PASPA, a ban on expanded sports gambling, out of the way, states have the ability to pass legislation which would legalize domestic sports gambling. Many states have done so, including neighboring West Virginia, but there haven’t been any plans from VA as of yet. Virginia seems to be taking the approach that some other states have adopted, in that they will observe these first few states to see how their sports betting framework rolls out.
Does Virginia Have Pari-Mutuel Betting?
Pari-mutuel betting is legal given the state’s constitution. In fact, it is the primary domestic legal option for VA residents to place wagers online. Virginia bettors may place legal horse racing wagers on sites like XpressBet.com, TVG.com, or TwinSpires.com.
TVG helped lead an effort that brought live horse racing back to the state. TwinSpires allocates a portion of each wager towards rider purses in the state in an effort to attract more live races in the future.
However, licensed offshore online sportsbooks often offer a racebook as well which allows for expanded betting lines and wagering options.
How Does Online Horse Betting Work?
Bettors can go online at either a domestic online site or through a licensed offshore online sportsbook with a racebook option. There, bettors can sign up for an account, deposit funds, and place wagering types in the following categories:
- Win – Horse must finish first
- Place – Horse must finish first or second
- Show – Horse must finish first, second, or third
- Exacta – Pick the first two horses in the correct order
- Trifecta – Pick the first three horses in the correct order
- Superfecta – Pick the first four horses in the correct order
- Daily Double – Pick the winners of two consecutive races
- Pick 3 – Pick the winners of three consecutive races
- Pick 4 – Pick the winners of four consecutive races
Do These Sites Have Bonuses?
Worthwhile bonuses are often found on licensed offshore online sportsbooks as we have yet to see a domestically licensed sportsbook offer the same robust bonus options or promotions. Welcome and Reload Bonuses on these sites act as financial incentives which match bettors' deposited funds up to a predetermined amount in additional funds. These bonuses can be applied to horse racing, basketball, football, or any other sports category.
Oftentimes, other promotions are offered such as risk-free bets which allow first-time players to place a wager and if lost, receive their wagering money back immediately.
In addition to a sportsbooks Welcome Bonus, these other services also offer bonuses and incentives for signing up: VA online casinos, VA online poker, and VA online bingo.