Virginia lawmakers again narrowly advanced a real-money online casino regulation bill, continuing a multi-year legalization push while underscoring continued, bipartisan opposition.
- An online casino bill advanced to the House Appropriations Committee amid continued bipartisan opposition.
- Supporters say regulation would curb illegal iGaming, add consumer protections, and tax an estimated $12 billion already wagered annually by Virginians.
- Opponents warn online casinos could cannibalize in-person gaming, increase gambling accessibility, and lead to job and revenue losses.
The House of Delegates’ General Laws gaming subcommittee voted 5-4 to advance the bill. It now heads to the House Appropriations Committee, which will further debate the measure before potentially sending the bill to the full House floor.
Companion legislation passed out of a Senate committee last month by a 9-6 vote. It is awaiting further action in the Senate Finance Committee.
Del. Marcus Simon, the bill’s chief patron (sponsor), told subcommittee members Tuesday that the bill would take on the existing illegal iGaming market in the state by bringing in licensed regulators that offer problem gambling assistance and generate new tax revenues. Simon estimated Virginians are already gambling $12 billion annually with unregulated iCasinos in the state.
“What this bill is really meant to do is bring the gaming on your phone within a legal framework that’s going to be highly regulated and include consumer protections,” Simon said.
Opposing side's testimony
As with the Senate companion, the nation’s major online casino gaming operators were among the representatives to testify in support of the bill at Tuesday’s hearing. That included the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents leading national iGaming operators FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, and bet365.
Caesars executive Ken Hutchinson said his company backed the bill, arguing online casino gaming wouldn’t hurt the existing in-person market. Caesars operates one of Virginia’s five brick-and-mortar casinos.
Retail gaming cannibalization has been one of the major sticking points for iGaming legalization in Virginia and much of the country. Live! Casino Virginia vice president Mark Stewart testified against the bill, arguing it would cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in annual lost revenue and thousands of additional jobs.
NEW: Virginia House subcommittee advances online casino gaming legalization bill, another step forward on what remains a long legislative journey to legal real money iGaming in VA; bill advances 5-4, underscoring bipartisan political divisions on legalization
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) February 3, 2026
Churchill Downs, which operates multiple Virginia horse tracks and historic horse racing facilities, also testified against the bill. Other opponents included charitable gaming operators, including representatives from Virginia Moose Lodges and VFW posts.
Del. Marcia Price was among the subcommittee members who voted against the bill. Before the vote, she said she worried online casino legalization would make real-money gambling too accessible, eliminating the time and space between people having money in their account and losing it.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account“You don’t even have to put on pants to gamble,” Price said.
Virginia iGaming details
Should the bill pass into law, Virginia would be the ninth state to regulate real-money iGaming and the fifth to permit more than two operators.
Each of the state’s five brick-and-mortar casinos could partner with up to three third-party mobile operators, meaning there could be as many as 15 platforms. Virginia lawmakers are also considering separate legislation to permit a casino in Tysons, which would presumably also have access to three mobile partners.
Hard Rock, Boyd, and Rush Street Gaming are the three other Virginia casino operators, along with Caesars and Live! parent Cordish Companies.
A proposed 15% gross gaming revenue tax would be among the lowest of the legal iGaming states. A portion of the tax proceeds would go to the brick-and-mortar casinos to offset potential lost dollars from brick-and-mortar casinos.
The bill would also be the first to mandate that each casino open a live dealer iGaming studio in the state. Simon said during Tuesday’s hearing this would generate hundreds of new jobs.
As with the companion Senate bill, lawmakers and testifiers during the most recent hearing questioned the legislation’s problem gambling protections. Simon said the bill would prohibit prepaid and credit card deposits while offering automated alerts based off players’ betting habits that could protect against unsustainable financial losses.
These extra protections have helped flip previously opposed lawmakers and help the legislation continue to advance. Still, another close vote Tuesday reaffirmed apprehensions about iGaming legalization both in and outside the legislature.
“I know this is a difficult vote for some of y’all,” Price said after his legislation progressed by the narrowest margin possible.
