Gambling Laws In Virginia
The federal government has plenty of laws in place to regulate gambling and none are as important as PASPA, The Federal Wire Act or the UIGEA. These laws outlaw the business of facilitating bets however they do not prohibit the average citizen from simply placing a bet. There is much room left within the lines of these federal laws for each individual state to expound upon as they see fit. Virginia is one such state that has taken it upon itself to further define its stance within the Virginia gambling laws as well as its penalties and any exceptions to their statutes.
Our guide to Virginia gambling statutes is here for residents to utilize and inform themselves of their own state's legislation, and where, if they so choose, to safely place a wager or gamble in person, or on the world wide web. Sit back as we've prepared everything you need to know in one easy package.
The state legislation in Virginia is written as follows: "Illegal gambling" means the making, placing or receipt, of any bet or wager in this Commonwealth of money or other thing of value, made in exchange for a chance to win a prize, stake or other consideration or thing of value, dependent upon the result of any game, contest or any other event the outcome of which is uncertain or a matter of chance, whether such game, contest or event, occurs or is to occur inside or outside the limits of this Commonwealth." The document then goes on to explain that committing the above stated offense will result in a class 3 misdemeanor which could spell a fine of up to $500.
Although it is unlawful to gamble in the state of Virginia, it should be noted that the act is not punishable by jail-time and rarely, if ever, enforced or investigated. As is the case with federal laws, the business of gambling is what the true target of the law is and its intent is to put a stop to organized crime. Also written in the Virginia state gambling laws are certain exceptions for citizens to be aware of which are sure to make social bettors feel much more comfortable. "Nothing in this article shall be construed to make it illegal to participate in a game of chance conducted in a private residence, provided such private residence is not commonly used for such games of chance and there is no operator as defined in subsection 4 of section 18.2-325."
Gambling from the safety of a private residence in Virginia is entirely legal so long as there is no operator present. "Operator" includes any person, firm or association of persons, who conducts, finances, manages, supervises, directs or owns all or part of an illegal gambling enterprise, activity or operation. Again, the state laws follow suit with the federal laws which states that the business of gambling is a serious crime while the small act of making a wager is not criminalized. This means that residents of Virginia may wager how they wish in private without fear of penalty whether it be Blackjack, Poker or a bet among friends on the Washington Redskins. This is good news for casual gamblers as the state does not have one single casino or gambling facility either state licensed or tribally run by Native Americans.
Land-Based Gambling In Virginia
The State of Virginia does not have one single solitary gambling facility or state licensed casino in the entirety of its territory. The only game of chance in the whole region is the Virginia State Lottery and that's about as exciting as its going to get for any gamblers in the Old Dominion. Although Virginia appears to be anti-gambling, it is bizarrely the most lenient of the non-lenient states if ever there was such a title. Due to the exceptions made within the gambling laws in Virginia, social and casual bettors do indeed have free reign to indulge themselves within a private residence so long as a profit isn't being made by an operator of any sort. Folks who live in the area may liven things up with a home poker game, a game of blackjack, place bets with friends on an NBA game or a number of other options without fear of breaking the law. We would strongly suggest to not use a gambling 'device' however, nor do any bookmaking or record making. Home-based gambling is the only land based gambling in Virginia without having to make a trip out of state.
Online Gambling In Virginia
There is not one single line mentioning the internet or online gambling in any way, shape or form in all of Virginia's ambling legislation. This means that there is absolutely nothing illegal about betting online whether the game in question is poker, sports betting or even casino and bingo games. If we refer back to federal laws, we know that the business of gambling and facilitating bets is very much so illegal in Virginia and anywhere else in the United States for that matter. This means that there are no local online venues to place the bets which Virginia residents are allowed to place. A conundrum, no doubt, but not one without a solution…
There are plenty of online gambling sites which exist outside of both Virginia and U.S. federal jurisdiction and there is not one thing illegal about visiting them or betting within their networks. The act may seem uncertain, placing money in a foreign online account, but many Americans including Virginia residents have indeed been taking advantage of reputable sites which are quite normal and routine operations in their host nations. They are regulated and monitored by their own authorities and must adhere to laws which make them comply with current business practices. It is not a lawless wasteland of organized crime as real money is lawfully won and mailed to U.S. residents every day.
Popular Gambling Options In Virginia:
Online Sportsbooks - Online Casinos - Online Poker
Out of all of the online gambling sites that are available to Virginia residents, there is one in particular which we highly recommend and use for our own personal betting. Bovada is a former American company which is now located in Canada due to changing federal laws and has been serving American users for decades to fantastically high marks. The online gambling site offers every major form of gambling including a fantastic poker interface as well as sports betting and casino games. The site is well known for its stellar customer support as well as prompt and timely payouts to winners with most residents in Virginia receiving checks for their winnings within 10 business days after requesting a withdrawal.
Bovada also has a stunning mobile app which allows users to place wagers on the go no matter where they go. One of our favorite features of the site is to use the mobile app in tandem with their cutting edge live betting platform where we were able to win money on ridiculous propositions on a game for which we were actually sitting in the stands watching in person. Bovada is our top choice for online gambling sites and we recommend it to all locals of the Old Dominion.
| Best Overall Betting Sites | Sports? | Casino? | Poker? | Horses? | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
| BetOnline | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
| SportsBetting | YES! | YES! | YES! | YES! | Play Now! |
We always recommend that readers abide by Virginia gambling regulations and that means meeting the minimum age to gamble. As it stands, Virginia has set the age to legally gamble at 18 years of age, or older. Because of this, the age is also 18 years of age, or older, for all of the Virginia friendly gambling sites featured on this website.
Best For All Gaming Types
