• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Virginia Is For Sports Bettors? Two Bills Making Moves

House and Senate take action on internet-only bills with data mandates

Jill R. Dorson by Jill R. Dorson
January 30, 2020
in Regulation
va sports betting

Aerial panorama of Norfolk Virginia by night. Norfolk is the second-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach and the host of the largest navy base in the world. (Shutterstock)

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

When the D.C. Council in December 2018 approved legal sports wagering, it did so with the idea that it would capture the regional market well ahead of neighbors Virginia and Maryland. More than a year after that vote, D.C. is still a few months away from having live sports betting, and it might be time for the District to start looking over its shoulder.

Twice in the last two days, Virginia lawmakers have taken action on sports betting bills  — one each on the House and Senate sides. Both would legalize only mobile sports betting and require the use of official league data.

On the Senate side, Jeremy McPike’s SB 384  moved out of the General Laws and Technology Committee to the Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. The bill, which makes the Virginia Lottery the regulator, caps the number of mobile licenses at 10, but also requires a minimum. From the bill: “The Director shall …  issue an amount of permits that he determines will be most likely to maximize tax revenue collected pursuant to § 58.1-4037. ”

Lawmaker trying to avoid a monopoly?

Calling for a minimum number of licensees could be in response to how other state lotteries have acted when tasked with regulating sports betting. For example, in New Hampshire, where the lottery was also named regulator, DraftKings won a monopoly on retail and mobile sports betting late last year. Under the new law there, up to 10 retail and five mobile licenses could have been issued.

During Wednesday’s subcommittee meeting, the tax rate in the bill on gross gaming revenue was lowered from 20% to 15%, which is considered by operators to be at the very top edge of what’s manageable from a business perspective.

SB 384 also includes a mandate for the use of official league data. As is also found in legislation around the country, the bill calls for official league data to be available for “commercially reasonable terms,” though no state has yet defined what that means. So far, three states — Tennessee, Illinois and Michigan — have legalized sports betting with a data mandate, but the concept hasn’t been put into practice, although Michigan has given some contours for reasonableness standards. No state with live sports betting has the data requirement.

Sign Up For The Sports Handle Newsletter!
I also want to receive information and offers about online sportsbooks (eg. odds boost, welcome offers)

House bill resembles Senate version

On the House side, the Gaming Subcommittee on Tuesday voted to combine HB 896 and 911 and refer the combined bill to the General Laws Committee, which sent it to Appropriations with a 14-3 vote on Thursday.

HB 896, which is the bill that would be moving forward, would legalize mobile sports betting only, and is similar to a 2019 bill, which was also authored by Democrat Mark Sickles. At the time, Sickles said Virginians want sports betting online and didn’t want casinos popping up around the state. This version of the bill would allow for wagering on pro sports only, includes a data mandate, sets the betting age at 21, sets a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue, and makes the Lottery the regulator. HB 911, which will no longer stand alone, called for a 10% tax rate, so it’s likely the tax rate will be negotiable throughout the legislative process.

The bill would also make it legal for the Lottery to sell tickets via the internet.

Virginia lawmakers weren’t able to move sports betting forward last year during a short session. This time around, they’ll have about a month longer to act. The session ends on March 8.

ShareTweetShare
Jill R. Dorson

Jill R. Dorson

Jill has covered everything from steeplechase to the NFL and then some during a more than 30-year career in sports journalism. The highlight of her career was covering Oakland Raiders during the Charles Woodson/Jon Gruden era, including the infamous “Snow Bowl” and the Raiders’ 2003 trip to Super Bowl XXXVII. Her specialty these days is covering sports betting legislation across the country. You can reach Jill at [email protected]

Related Posts

washington-dc-sports-betting-kiosks
Legislation

D.C. Budget Moves Forward Without Problem Gambling Funding

May 17, 2023
virginia seal
Industry

Strong March For Virginia Books As Handle Tops $500M For Fifth Time In Six Months

May 1, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

paspa ruling

From PASPA To Present: An Oral History Of The U.S. Sports Betting Gold Rush

May 11, 2023
inside-fanatics-sportsbook-fedex-field

Sources: Fanatics Enters Advanced Talks With PointsBet On Transformative U.S. Deal

May 12, 2023
garland blinken

Dear Regulators: Merrick Garland Is The Wrong Guy To Stamp Out Offshore Betting

May 16, 2023
alabama-crimson-tide-logo

Here’s What We Know About The Alabama Baseball Betting Controversy

May 5, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – All Online Sportsbooks, Bonus Offers, and News 2023

by Brian Pempus
May 16, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
May 2, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
April 24, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 22, 2023

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
May 3, 2023

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

SportsHandle

  • Analysis
  • Casino
  • Features
  • Horse Racing
  • Industry
  • Legal
  • Legislation
  • Lottery
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Poker
  • Politics
  • Promotions
  • Regulation
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Better Collective

This website is owned and operated by Better Collective USA. Trademarks and copyrights referenced on this website are and shall remain the exclusive property of their respective owners and/or licensors. Please be sure to visit the operator’s website(s) to review their terms & conditions. We advise you to read these carefully as they contain important information. Copyright © 2023 USBets.com | Better Collective USA
21 Play Responsibly
Gamble Aware West Virginia
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
GameSense

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News