Virginia is a state with a rich and storied history – after all, this historic land was home to Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America way back in 1607. Today, over 8.7 million people live in this corner of the world, which is famed for its stunning mountain ranges and hiking trails, political landmarks, and incredible tourist attractions including epic amusement parks and waterparks. This unique state has a fascinating social and political history, and the evolution of gambling in Virginia is a particularly interesting facet of the state’s changing cultural landscape. As in many US states, Virginia’s approach to gambling legislation has seen various changes – whilst gambling activity was once staunchly prohibited here, Virginia is now moving towards a more permissive approach. In this article, we’ve taken a closer look at Virginia’s long and complex history of gambling.
The early days
To understand the gambling landscape in Virginia today, it’s helpful to look back at the early days of gaming in the state. These days, US citizens are more familiar with online casinos and betting sites which offer a huge selection of games and lucrative bonuses. However, way back in the early 1600s, the first settlers regularly enjoyed playing gambling games in their classic physical format – mainly simple table games involving dice and a deck of cards. The activity was controversial even then, and the authorities soon began to criticise those who took part in betting games; as a result, Virginia soon adopted some of the earliest responsible gaming laws in America. This early prohibitive approach set the tone for centuries to come and is a key reason why gaming of chance legislation has been so hotly debated here.
The launch of sweepstakes
Whilst other forms of online gaming of chance have been heavily restricted over the years, prize draws have had a particularly fascinating role to play in Virginia’s history of gaming of chance. In the 18th century, prize draws were organised in Jamestown by leaders like Thomas Jefferson, who saw them as a useful way of funding public projects including the construction of churches and schools. However, this expansion of gaming of chance in Virginia was stunted as the tides soon began to turn, with an increase in responsible gaming sentiment driven by those who were morally opposed to the activity. In 1769, the British Crown placed restrictions on lotteries, which added fuel to the fire of tensions between the Colonies and Britain at the time.
Following this, responsible gaming movements in the United States eventually shut down the sweepstakes entirely, and for much of the early 20th century, gambling remained entirely illegal in Virginia. However, in a fascinating turn of events, Virginian lotteries eventually returned in 1987, when citizens of the state voted to establish a state lottery. The Virginia Lottery launched in 1988, and since 1999 this hugely popular game has raised over $13,601,370,000 for public schools across Virginia. The success of this state-wide gambling activity was a landmark moment in the history of gaming of chance in Virginia and arguably paved the way for further legalisation of other gaming activities over the coming years.
Modern-day online chance gaming
In the last couple of decades, there have been some major changes to Virginia’s gambling landscape. For many years, Virginia maintained a staunchly anti-gambling approach, and the state was not home to a single brick-and-mortar gaming parlour. However, as neighbouring states like Maryland and West Virginia expanded their gaming venues, Virginian state legislators began to consider the benefits of doing the same. Eventually, following local referendums in 2020, legislation was passed in Virginia which permitted the construction of casinos in four cities – Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, and Portsmouth. Residents have since been able to enjoy a variety of games at popular new venues such as the Hard Rock Bristol, which generate significant tax revenue and have provided jobs for local people.
In January 2021 another major milestone occurred in Virginia, as online sports wagering was legalised in the state following the 2018 Supreme Court decision which overturned the federal ban on sports wagering activities. The first legal sportsbooks began to operate in 2021 alongside online betting apps, offering Virginians the chance to wager on a variety of sports events, and generating millions of dollars in tax revenue. Interestingly, whilst both brick-and-mortar gaming venues and sports wagering sites are now much more accepted in Virginia today, online gamingis not yet legal here. The rest of the US has been seen as an opportunity, and online gaming hubs, games and bonuses are reviewed by Casino.org and other comparison sites on an almost daily basis, showing just how big the industry has become in such a short space of time. The topic continues to be keenly debated, as the recently launched legal iGaming markets in other states like New Jersey and West Virginia have seen major success. Those in favor of a Virginian iGaming industry argue that it would lead to the creation of jobs in the state, generate revenue, and boost the region’s economy. With Virginia becoming somewhat of a startup hub over the past decade, it will be interesting to see how far they push online gambling. Tech, healthcare and even defence have become big business in the state, showing they are open to expanding their economic outlooks in favour of improved state tax revenues. Considering how much Virginia’s gaming of chance legislation has changed over time, it will be fascinating to see whether iGaming will ever be legalised here.
Ultimately, Virginia’s increasingly accepting approach to the gaming industry is indicative of wider trends across the United States today. Whilst this iconic state was initially resistant to legalised gaming of chance due to moral concerns about the activity, changing attitudes in wider society have influenced the state’s legislation and led to the growing acceptance of sweepstakes, brick-and-mortar gaming venues, and sports gaming. In the coming years, Virginia’s gaming of chance industry is certainly one to watch, as it will be interesting to see if online gaming hubs will soon be legalised in the state – watch this space!
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