Virginia lawmakers have presented legislation to develop the state's first-ever gaming commission in a relocation that could help accelerate additional video gaming expansion.

- Lawmakers introduced legislation to develop the Virginia Gaming Commission, moving oversight from the state lotto.

- Separate legislation would legislate real-money online gambling establishment video gaming, allowing brick-and-mortar casinos to partner with approximately three third-party iGaming operators.

- While the video gaming commission bill already has bipartisan assistance, iGaming deals with political and market opposition that might complicate passage in 2026.

The costs introduced in both chambers today would reassign oversight of Virginia's casino, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and historical horse racing industries from the state lottery to the brand-new Virginia Gaming Commission. This would have a negligible direct effect on Virginia sports wagerers or DFS gamers, but it could assist spur even more market growth in a state that had opposed betting for centuries.

Established in 1987, the Virginia Lottery was the first modern type of "betting" legislated in the Old Dominion considering that its establishing more than 400 years back. It was the sensible government body to supervise the boom in new gaming kinds in current years, today lawmakers intend to expand oversight.

The Virginia Lottery would continue to exist. The brand-new commission would manage most other forms of regulated gaming.

Online casino capacity

The reorganization bill comes as Virginia is set to again consider real-money online gambling establishment gaming legislation. In a separate proposal, Virginia would permit third-party iGaming operators to partner with brick-and-mortar casinos to provide digital slots, table games, and poker.

If both bills are passed this year, the brand-new commission would be set to manage Virginia's latest gaming form. Virginia could be the ninth state to legislate real-money online video gaming and the 2nd to do so this year, after Maine.

The Virginia Gaming Commission would likewise supervise potential brand-new brick-and-mortar gambling establishments. The costs developing the commission also sets out how brand-new gambling establishments could be authorized.

Virginia legislators have actually introduced a costs that would legalize real cash online casino gaming in the Commonwealth; would allow for as much as 15 different iGaming operators, 3 to each of the 5 existing brick-and-mortar casinos

In 2020, voters in Danville, Bristol, Norfolk, and Portsmouth authorized the first 4 certified in-person casinos in Virginia history. After Richmond voters declined a gambling establishment, voters in Petersburg approved the state's fifth video gaming center in 2024.

Several other Virginia jurisdictions, including Roanoke and Tysons, have actually thought about casinos of their own. Any such expansion would also need local citizen approval.

The iGaming legalization expense allows brick-and-mortar gambling establishments to partner with as numerous as 3 third-party mobile operators each. New in-person casinos could possibly develop an avenue for even more iCasinos.

Passing costs no sure thing

The gaming commission bill already has bipartisan and bicameral assistance and may show noncontroversial as the state deals with a relatively rapid betting expansion after decades of little activity. Passing another form in iGaming may show harder.

Online gambling establishment gaming has actually faced stiff opposition in the majority of statehouses. Virginia legislators passed on severe factor to consider in 2015 and deal with a number of the exact same political headwinds in 2026.

Some Democrats in the House of Delegates and betting over worries it harms consumers, specifically lower-income gamblers. Democrats have majorities in both chambers and flipped the governor's mansion last fall.

Conservative anti-gambling voices also stay strong in the legislature, especially among Republicans. Any iGaming legalization bill would likely require bipartisan assistance to advance.

The bill likewise faces opposition from some Virginia gaming stakeholders.

Cordish Companies, which holds the Petersburg casino license, has vocally opposed iGaming, arguing it funnels homeowners' dollars to out-of-state companies at the expense of existing in-state jobs at the brick-and-mortar homes. The operator of a Maryland casino, its opposition assisted tank a similar legalization effort in Virginia's northern neighbor in 2015.

It stays to be seen whether Virginia can continue its gaming development with iGaming expansion. But gaming-related bills introduced in the early days of the state's 2026 legal session highlight legislators' growing interest in the industry.