Virginia lawmakers have presented legislation to create the state's first-ever gaming commission in a relocation that might help accelerate additional gaming growth.

- Lawmakers introduced legislation to produce the Virginia Gaming Commission, moving oversight from the state lottery game.

- Separate legislation would legislate real-money online casino video gaming, enabling brick-and-mortar casinos to partner with up to 3 third-party iGaming operators.

- While the gaming commission bill already has bipartisan assistance, iGaming faces political and industry opposition that might complicate passage in 2026.

The expenses presented in both chambers this week would reassign oversight of Virginia's gambling establishment, sports betting, day-to-day fantasy sports, and historical horse racing markets from the state lottery to the new Virginia Gaming Commission. This would have a negligible direct effect on Virginia sports bettors or DFS gamers, however it could help spur further industry growth in a state that had actually opposed gambling for centuries.

Established in 1987, the Virginia Lottery was the first contemporary kind of "gambling" legislated in the Old Dominion considering that its establishing more than 400 years ago. It was the sensible federal government body to manage the boom in brand-new gaming kinds in current years, but now legislators want to expand oversight.

The Virginia Lottery would continue to exist. The new commission would supervise most other forms of controlled gambling.

Online gambling establishment capacity

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

If both costs are passed this year, the new commission would be set to manage Virginia's latest betting kind. Virginia might be the ninth state to legalize real-money online gaming and the 2nd to do so this year, after Maine.

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

Virginia legislators have actually introduced a costs that would legislate real cash online gambling establishment gaming in the Commonwealth; would enable approximately 15 separate iGaming operators, three to each of the 5 existing brick-and-mortar casinos

In 2020, citizens in Danville, Bristol, Norfolk, and Portsmouth authorized the first 4 licensed in-person casinos in Virginia history. After Richmond citizens declined a gambling establishment, voters in Petersburg approved the state's 5th video gaming center in 2024.

Several other Virginia jurisdictions, including Roanoke and Tysons, have thought about gambling establishments of their own. Any such growth would similarly need regional voter approval.

The iGaming legalization costs permits brick-and-mortar casinos to partner with as many as 3 third-party mobile operators apiece. New in-person casinos could possibly develop an opportunity for a lot more iCasinos.

Passing costs no certainty

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

Online gambling establishment video gaming has dealt with stiff opposition in the majority of statehouses. Virginia lawmakers passed on serious consideration in 2015 and deal with numerous of the same political headwinds in 2026.

Some Democrats in your house of Delegates and Senate oppose gambling over fears it hurts customers, specifically lower-income bettors. Democrats have majorities in both chambers and flipped the guv's estate last fall.

Conservative anti-gambling voices also stay strong in the legislature, especially amongst Republicans. Any iGaming legalization expense would likely need bipartisan support to advance.

The costs likewise faces opposition from some Virginia betting stakeholders.

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

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