Virginia lawmakers are moving to centralize gambling oversight with House Bill 271, introduced by Del. Paul Krizek (D). The bill proposes the creation of a Virginia Gaming Commission to oversee all forms of gambling in the state, from casinos and sports betting to horse racing and charitable gaming.
Currently, gaming in Virginia is spread across three separate agencies:
- The Virginia Lottery Board manages casinos and sports betting legalized in 2020.
- The Racing Commission regulates horse racing, including historical horse racing machines.
- The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services handles charitable gaming and daily fantasy sports.
Krizek told iGaming Business, “The creation of a Virginia Gaming Commission is not about building more bureaucracy, it’s about promoting smarter government. A unified commission would streamline oversight with consistent standards, improve enforcement, and strengthen consumer confidence across all gaming platforms.”
A Step Toward iGaming?
The push for a single regulatory body comes as online casino legalization gains traction in Virginia. Supporters argue that regulated iGaming would move players from unlicensed sites to a safer, monitored environment while helping the state compete with neighbors like Pennsylvania and West Virginia, both of which offer online poker and casino games.
Similar precedents exist elsewhere. Florida’s Gaming Control Commission was created as part of a broader sports betting and casino expansion compact with the Seminole Tribe, streamlining oversight just as the state entered a new phase of legalized gaming.
Del. Marcus B. Simon (D) emphasized that the commission wouldn’t create new forms of gambling but would provide a regulated umbrella for existing and potential online gaming: “My goal is to bring it under supervision so we can ensure oversight and fairness.”
Virginia’s move mirrors recent steps in other states—Maine legalized online poker and casino gaming just last week—highlighting a growing trend toward more structured, regulated online gambling in the U.S.
This new commission could be the first step toward modernizing Virginia’s gaming framework, with potential implications for online poker, casino games, and broader iGaming legalization in the commonwealth.
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