Virginia is for lovers, but gaming regulators there may not be all that fond of offshore sportsbooks and casino sites taking bets from locals.
Comments made at a Virginia Lottery Board meeting on Tuesday also suggest officials in the commonwealth could try to do something about it, and perhaps soon.
The board received a report on the latest gathering of its gaming compliance committee, which discussed the trouble of offshore gambling companies.
“That there's a big problem with that, that there are hundreds of offshore entities involved in the betting,” board member Orrin Gallop explained.
To whom it may concern: stop
Gallop mentioned talk of what was being done by other states, some of which have sent cease-and-desist letters to online gambling operators (namely Bovada). He added there was a “recommendation” about this, and that the Virginia State Police’s gaming enforcement coordinator, First Sgt. Kevin Johnson, said he would discuss that with the Attorney General's Office.
A spokesperson for the state police told Covers on Tuesday that Sgt. Johnson plans to consult with the Attorney General’s Office about the possibility of cease-and-desist letters for offshore sites. However, the decision on those letters rests with the AG’s office, public relations coordinator Matthew Demlein noted.
Covers emailed the lottery board and the AG’s office for more information but had not heard back before this story was published.
At any rate, the comments on Tuesday suggest the Virginia Lottery Board is at least aware of the cease-and-desist letters other states have issued to online gambling operators. They also present the possibility that Virginia sports betting regulators may join their counterparts in other states and send some C&Ds of their own.
FanDuel controlled almost 40% of the sports betting market in VA, followed by DraftKings at about 29%. BetMGM was a distant third at approximately 11%. pic.twitter.com/f9eli18BUP
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) January 14, 2025
Virginia launched legal sports betting in 2021. While the state has lost a few online sportsbooks over the past year or so, such as SuperBook Sports, it still has in-person wagering at three casinos and a dozen mobile betting options.
Even so, it's almost certain there are unauthorized gaming operators doing business in the commonwealth. Other states have noticed the same, and regulators there have taken action to try to shut down those operations.
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) was the regulator that most recently announced it had hit an operator with a C&D, which was addressed to Bovada. The Curacao-based sports betting and casino gaming operator now says it has restricted access in more than 15 states (including Arizona) following a barrage of cease-and-desist requests from regulators.
"We are actively monitoring the evolving landscape of online gaming and taking proactive steps like this helps us protect Arizona’s communities and economy from illegal activities,” said Jackie Johnson, director of the ADG, in a press release last month. "Arizona will not be a safe haven for unlicensed or unlawful gaming, nor will we allow unlawful entities to compromise the integrity of gaming within our state."
Legislation szn
Back in Virginia, lawmakers are in the midst of their latest legislative session, which they voted to extend beyond the typical 30-day limit to as late as Feb. 22.
It’s possible a few gambling-related bills are debated during the session, including one that would permit wagering on Virginia college games and another that would authorize iGaming in the commonwealth.
