What Happened To The VA Sports Betting Bill With Gov. Northam?

There are three bills to legalize sports betting in Virginia that are awaiting action from Governor Ralph Northam.
Northam received the bills on March 20 and has until April 11 for all final decisions to be made.
The legal sports betting market in Virginia could bring in millions of dollars in revenue for the economy.

RICHMOND, Va. – There are three different sports betting bills in Virginia that were approved by both the House and the Senate in late March, so where are they now?

Virginia sports betting is only a step or two away from becoming law. The three bills offer various aspects to legal gambling on sporting events and Governor Ralph Northam has until 11:59 p.m. on April 11 to decide on the fate of each bill becoming law or not.

The Sports Betting Bills On The Table

The bills that were approved by lawmakers to make sports betting a legal activity in the Old Dominion were done so in an emergency session last month. They all differ in what they bring to the table.

Virginia House Bill 4 would have host cities in the Commonwealth open to land-based establishments offering a number of gambling options to include sports betting. This House Bill requires the cities listed within the documents to vote on the issue of legalization on the November 2020 ballot.

The other two bills, Virginia House Bill 896 and Virginia Senate Bill 384 are specific to gambling on sports match ups rather than an all-encompassing gaming expansion like that of VA HB 4.

House Bill 896 and Senate Bill 384 would make the Virginia Lottery the regulator of the sports betting market. They also would prohibit collegiate sports teams that are related to the Commonwealth to be open for wagers.

Prop betting on college teams would not be allowed for any college in the nation to be done at any Old Dominion sportsbook. The upside to these bills is that they will allow for both retail and internet/mobile sportsbook platforms.

What’s Next?

Governor Ralph Northam has a little over a week left to meet the deadline for making decisions on these bills. Sports betting in Virginia is steps away from becoming a reality for all fans of the games residing in the Commonwealth.

Many believe that Northam will allow all three bills to come to pass and that this is a mere formality in the process.

With all that has been going on in the world currently with the coronavirus pandemic being at the forefront of each state’s list of priorities, Northam may take his decision all the way down to the deadline of April 11 at 11:59 p.m.

It would be at that time that gamblers of Virginia will have a final answer about whether or not they will be able to engage in legal sports betting with local platforms in late 2020 or early 2021.

Advertising Disclosure

In order to provide you with the best independent sports betting news and content LegalSportsBetting.com may receive a commission from partners when you make a purchase through a link on our site.

Christina Monroe

Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.