Virginia Will Now Be Accepting Sportsbook Applications

• Virginians are expected to see online and mobile sports betting platforms in January of 2021.
• The Virginia Lottery Board will be accepting applications from now until Halloween for all of those involved in the sports wagering industry interested in applying.

RICHMOND, Va. – After various bumps in the road, Virginia is finally on schedule with their legal sports betting market timeline as the Virginia Lottery has opened the application window for operators, vendors, and suppliers.

Any interested parties that would like to be a part of the sports wagering industry in the Commonwealth will have until October 31 to turn in a completed application.

No paper documents will be accepted as the lottery has fine-tuned the process to be done completely online, including all fee payments necessary to apply. The window for all applications is a little over two weeks, making for a very small timeframe for operators, vendors, and suppliers.

Other states in the nation typically have longer periods or allow for a rolling basis style of applying but Virginia has decided on a small 16-day window.

What’s Next In The Sports Betting Process Of Virginia

Seeing as the deadline for applications is Halloween, January 30, 2021, would be the date sportsbooks could launch as the Virginia Lottery Board has a 90-day window to review all applicants before approval. However, the earliest for a launch of the market would be January 15 for all businesses that turn in finished applications on October 15.

The window between the 15th and 30th of January 2021 is when Virginians will see multiple legal sports betting platforms open for use.

At the start, the sports betting market will be done through internet and mobile outlets only. The reason for this has to do with the vote that will be occurring on November 3 that will enable residents in five towns to have a say in whether or not they are in favor of land-based sportsbooks in their area.

The cities that were approved by the Virginia General Assembly during the 2020 session as far as venue locations are concerned were: Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond.

Anyone living in these communities will see the topic of VA sports betting on their ballots this November.

Prospective Sportsbook Operators

Although there has been no vote yet, the named cities that have been put on the ballot are already preparing for retail locations. Partnership deals are being made between towns and operators.

Currently, the town of Bristol has linked up with Hard Rock, Portsmouth has latched onto Rush Street Gaming and Danville has gone the Caesars route.

Norfolk and Richmond have made no such partnerships but they’ve made property deals in preparation for potential venue locations. All land-based sportsbooks are also entitled to an online and mobile sports betting license.

Hard Rock (Bristol) would have theirs through Scientific Games, BetRivers would be the chosen online operator in Portsmouth, and IGT or William Hill would see internet action for Danville. While these areas are the preferred spots by lawmakers, any professional sports team can open a sports wagering operation at their venue as well.

No news on applicants has been released by the Virginia Lottery, but all the heavy hitters are expected to make their move.

It’s been rumored that the Old Dominion will be the future home of sportsbooks like Barstool Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, FOX Bet, PointsBet, and William Hill. Regardless of voting results, Virginians will have sports betting coming to them in January 2021, just in time for those Super Bowl 55 wagers.

News tags: Barstool Sports | BetRivers | Bristol | Caesars | Danville | DraftKings | FanDuel | FoxBet | Hard Rock | IGT | NFL | Norfolk | PointsBet | Portsmouth | Richmond | Rush Street Gaming | Scientific Games | Super Bowl 55 | Virginia | Virginia General Assembly | Virginia Lottery | Virginia Lottery Board | Vote | William Hill