Virginia iGaming Bill Advances to House After Narrow Senate Vote

Virginia is one step closer to having a regulated iGaming market, after Senate lawmakers advanced the measure to the House on Monday. The bill narrowly passed with a vote of 19-17, possibly indicating continued resistance in the House. 

Senate Bill 118, introduced by Virginia Senator Mamie E. Locke, would legalize casino-style games like blackjack and slots online, and would allow each of the state’s casinos to host up to three gaming platforms by partnering with operators. 

Each platform would charge an initial fee of $2 million, with operators of real-money online casinos paying a license fee of $500,000 and a further $250,000 to renew the license. The bill also proposes an iGaming tax rate of 15%, and the Virginia Lottery Board would oversee online operations. 

The measure first failed in the Senate, with 19 lawmakers voting ‘yes’ and 20 voting ‘no’. Lawmakers unanimously passed a request to reconsider the bill, which was then amended to include a new launch date of July 1, 2027. 

The amended bill passed the same day, with an odd split. Five Democrats sided with Republicans to vote against the bill, while four Republicans joined Democrats in favor of passing the measure. 

Proponents of the bill argue that legalized online casinos would bring in more revenue for the state, with a fiscal impact review by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission estimating that iGaming net revenue would generate $4.1 billion for the state after five years, including $1.1 billion for the Commonwealth.   

However, there has been staunch opposition by lawmakers, who argue that it would only cause a rise in gambling addiction among Virginians.

The bill now heads to the House, but with clear divisions among Senate lawmakers, House members are also expected to have a tight vote.   

Mississippi House passes online sports betting bill

While not exactly online casinos, Mississippi is also having luck when it comes to legalizing online gambling. The state’s online sports betting bill, introduced by Representative Casey Eure, passed the state House earlier in the month and has been referred back to the Senate. 

The passage of the bill marks the third time it has passed in the House, but each time it ultimately failed in the Senate. 

This time, Rep. Eure seems more optimistic, citing that Mississippi is losing out on millions of dollars in sports betting revenue compared to neighboring states. According to Eure, an estimated 10 million Mississippians have also tried to place online bets in the state since last September. 

"These are Mississippi residents crossing over into other states," Eure said. "Mississippi receives zero tax revenue, there's zero oversight, zero consumer protections against these people placing these bets and problem gambling goes undetected and unmanaged."

Other proponents of the bill say that it would provide safeguards to protect residents from illegal wagering sites, as well as safeguards for the state’s casinos, according to Eure, who says that there is a provision in the bill that would allow casinos to apply for a scheme that would give back any money lost from sports betting after five years.