Virginia iCasino bill progresses as legal online casinos possible
Virginia lawmakers have revived efforts to legalise online casinos after advancing an iCasino proposal that appeared stalled just days earlier.
On Wednesday, the Virginia Senate General Laws Committee moved SB 118 forward, a bill that would legalise online casino gaming once a proposed Virginia Gaming Commission is established.
The iCasino measure is tied to companion bills SB 195 and SB 558, which would consolidate gambling oversight under a single regulator, rather than three seperate bodies overseeing different forms of gambling.
Sports betting and casinos are managed by the Virginia Lottery Board, while the Virginia Racing Commission monitors horse racing and the Consumer of Services regulates charitable gambling and daily fantasy sports.
The regulatory proposal also advanced on Wednesday, despite concerns raised during a subcommittee hearing last week that focused on responsible gambling and consumer protections.
Senator Mamie Locke, the bill’s sponsor, introduced a substitute version requiring the regulator to implement advertising rules, identification standards and additional safeguards, helping secure committee support.
While there is plenty of water to go under the bridge, as it stands, Locke’s bill would see the Virginia Lottery Board regulate online casinos, with each of the state’s casino’s granted licensed to host up to three gambling sites.
Lawmakers also advanced a daily fantasy sports bill imposing a 10% levy on operator revenue and moved closer to banning credit card funding for sports betting.
The legislation now heads to the Finance Committee, widely viewed as a critical hurdle.
