Four cities already have OK’d a casino (Portsmouth, Norfolk, Danville, Bristol) while the fifth, Richmond, has now rejected a casino via referendum twice.

Unemployment rate of 3.6% or more in 2018Ĭities needed to hold a public referendum to gauge support for any casino.

40% of all real estate is exempt from local property tax.

Decline in population of 7% or more between 19.

The criteria for opening a brick ’n mortar Virginia casino is:

Under the law, cities passing certain criteria are able to open a land based casino. The first sports betting sites launched in early 2021. HB4 passed the Virginia General Assembly in early 2020, with gambling operators and casinos overseen by the Virginia Lottery Board. Some Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) operators were already live in Virginia. However, it wasn’t until 2020 that a revised bill – HB4 – sought to include casino games in the full package. It also looked at a way for land-based casinos in Virginia to be introduced. The SB 1126 gambling bill was passed in early 2020, paving the way for legalized sports wagering. There is hope that this could change in the coming years if sports betting does well in the state. Virginia law would need to be changed in order for online gambling to be legal in the state. State law allows for online and retail sports betting and land-based casinos in a limited number of cities. No, online casinos are not legal in Virginia.

Casino gambling