This story has been updated to reflect BetRivers’ launch at 11:00 am on Wednesday.
BetMGM on Wednesday morning became the third operator to go live in Virginia when it launched its mobile platform ahead of Rush Street Interactive, which got its go-live in Virginia Tuesday night and launched its digital sports betting platform BetRivers later Wednesday morning, as well. BetMGM got launch approval on Sunday.
With both now live, the number of digital sports betting platforms available in the state will double since FanDuel went live last Thursday and DraftKings followed suit Sunday, just hours ahead of the NFL’s conference championship games.
The Virginia Lottery confirmed that additional approvals are imminent, but as of Tuesday night, four of the approximately 12 available operator licenses had been spoken for. The legislature capped the number of licenses in the state, which received 25 applications. There is new legislation moving through the General Assembly that could potentially increase the cap.
The Virginia launch makes the MGM brand available to residents in each of the three DMV jurisdictions — via mobile apps in Virginia, at MGM National Harbor in Maryland, and at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The company has a partnership with the Nationals, with plans to open a retail sportsbook at the ballpark later this season. Virginia is the 10th state in which BetMGM is live.
“We’re ecstatic that BetMGM is one of the first mobile sports betting platforms to launch in Virginia,” BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said via press release. “Virginians are passionate sports fans, and we’re thrilled to provide them a user-friendly sports betting experience. BetMGM Virginia customers can earn benefits and will soon enjoy innovative experiences planned with MGM National Harbor in Maryland and the Washington Nationals.”
BetRivers has a casino partnership in Virginia
BetRivers’ launch marks the company’s eighth live mobile state, and its second launch in less than a week. BetRivers, BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel were among the 10 operators that went live for sports betting and iGaming in Michigan last Friday.
Online sports betting is now legal in Virginia and Michigan and those of you who play it right will have an abundance of free bets and risk-free bets to play with…
…here's the optimal way to use them:https://t.co/bndrvp8qmd
— Captain Jack Andrews (@capjack2000) January 22, 2021
“We are pleased to add Virginia to the growing list of states that RSI and BetRivers.com call home as we continue to expand across the country and bring our exciting and trusted online sports betting product to new customers who appreciate an operator like us who focuses on earning and retaining player trust,” said Richard Schwartz, president of RSI, via press release. “Our leadership position in the markets in which we operate, including the two largest states with legalized online gaming, Pennsylvania and Illinois, where we were #1 in 2020, is a testament to the strength of the BetRivers.com brand and betting platform.”
BetRivers is one of three operators partnered with a casino in Virginia. The company has a deal for market access via a new casino that was approved by voters in November 2020 and will be built in Portsmouth. Caesars/William Hill (Danville) and Hard Rock (Bristol) are also partnered with to-be-built casinos. The city of Norfolk has partnered with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe for a casino. The state will have a total of five land-based casinos when all is said and done, but the city of Richmond has plans to select an operator this spring, and voters will have the chance to approve a casino in November.
