As expanded gaming in the commonwealth progresses, the Virginia Lottery Board granted approval for emergency regulations regarding casino gambling on Wednesday.
Members of the Virginia Lottery Board convened online to deliberate upon the most recent lottery ventures, encompassing the burgeoning Virginia sports betting industry, conventional lotto options, and the imminent launch of all-encompassing VA casino-resorts.
In November last year, the residents of Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, and Portsmouth overwhelmingly supported casino referenda. Remarkably, each city endorsed the casino proposals with a significant majority, roughly two-thirds in favor.
The casino-resorts are projected to commence their operations in 2022 and 2025. Furthermore, if the ballot initiative in Richmond succeeds in the upcoming election cycle, the city’s voters may also be included in the mix.
Currently, we possess the preliminary casino regulations, along with a schedule outlining the development of permanent regulations.
VA Lotto Board OKs emergency regulations
In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation to legalize sports betting and casino gambling. Subsequently, the responsibility of overseeing and regulating these industries was entrusted to the VA Lottery by lawmakers.
Kevin Hall, executive director of the Virginia Lottery, emphasized that the Lottery’s position as a regulator is founded on its esteemed reputation as a trusted gaming authority in the Commonwealth over the past 30 years. He stated that the Lottery’s dedicated team and Board will diligently uphold the public’s interest by safeguarding the integrity of casino gaming through the rigorous enforcement of both the law and the Lottery’s regulations.
In late January, the formal launch of online sports betting took place, and presently, five prominent operators have already commenced accepting wagers.
Launching Virginia casinos, however, presents a more gradual process.
Here’s the timeline:
- On February 3rd, the Virginia Lottery Board gave its approval on urgent casino regulations.
- On April 7th, the emergency regulations come into force.
- The deadline for the public comment period on the intended regulatory action is May 26. Following this, the staff will work on preparing proposed permanent regulations to be approved by the board before the deadline of Nov. 22.
- Following the Governor’s approval of regulations, there will be a 60-day period for the public to provide comments on the proposed permanent regulations.
- The board finalizes the proposed regulations and sends them to the Executive Branch for review, ensuring that this process takes place within a minimum of 15 days and a maximum of 180 days after the public-comment period.
- As of October 7, 2022, the final regulations will take effect.
Industry standards for Virginia casino regs
During the meeting, Bob Fontaine, the deputy general counsel of the VA Lotto, guided board members through the key points of the casino regulations.
The topics included:
- Operators must obtain licenses, permits, and pay fees.
- The management and oversight of facility operations and internal controls.
- The functioning of games
Fontaine acknowledged that the extensive scope and range of the regulations may seem overwhelming. Nevertheless, he reassured board members that they adhere to the established industry norms.
“The initial regulations are unlikely to come as a surprise to the industry,” he stated. “This is the kind of regulatory framework they anticipate. In fact, I believe they would be taken aback if they encountered something significantly divergent from what we currently have.”
Furthermore, Fontaine extensively discussed the background check procedures for individuals applying for permits. He emphasized the importance of involvement from board members, the public, and key stakeholders in the development of regulations, allowing them to provide input at various stages.
He stated that their objective is to ensure operators have some degree of flexibility, while also enforcing constructive and essential regulations to uphold the integrity of gaming within the state.
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