There are no plans to lift the in-state college betting ban in the Virginia sports betting market for the foreseeable future. A bill that aimed to permit Virginians to place bets on the state’s numerous well-liked collegiate programs has been rejected by a subcommittee of the Virginia House of Delegates.
In mid-January, HB 1127 was introduced by Del. Schuyler VanValkenberg, a Democrat who represents Virginia’s 72nd District.
The bill aimed to eliminate unnecessary complexity and grant Virginians the freedom to bet on any of the state’s 14 NCAA Division I college athletic programs. Consequently, supporters of the University of Virginia Cavaliers or the Virginia Tech Hokies would no longer have to venture to a neighboring state to place bets on their beloved teams.
Lawmakers declined to lift the ban in exchange for additional tax revenue, despite the likelihood of the proposal boosting one of the country’s quickest-growing sports betting markets.
Lifting in-state college betting ban wasn’t popular with GOP
Upon its introduction, lawmakers directed the legislation to the Committee on General Laws. Later on, the bill was allocated to Subcommittee No. 3, consisting of five Republicans and three Democrats.
The subcommittee convened on Tuesday to cast their votes on a total of 25 bills. Regarding HB 1127, the legislators decided to table the bill with a 6-2 majority vote.
The phrase “Tabling the bill” may give the impression that lawmakers will reconsider the matter. However, as stated by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, tabling a bill actually means to dispose of it.
In order to lift the ban, either VanValkenberg or another Virginia lawmaker will need to present a new bill in the upcoming legislative session.
The vote on keeping the ban in place was almost entirely along party lines, with a 6-2 margin. All five Republicans voted against it, and one of the three Democrats also voted against it. Del. Luke Torian was the sole Democrat who voted in favor of maintaining the ban.
The bill was tabled with the support of Del. Roxann Robinson, Del. Barry Knight, Del. James Morefield, Del. Jeffrey Campbell, and Del. Hyland Fowler Jr., who voted alongside Torian. Del. Paul Krizek and VanValkenberg were the sole dissenting votes, casting their “nay” votes.
At the time of publishing, PlayVirginia had contacted several members of the subcommittee for comment but had not received any response.
Despite ban, VA sports betting set to flourish
Despite being a disappointment for numerous Virginia sports fans and bettors, the situation remains unchanged.
Put simply, Virginia remains a highly prosperous sports betting market in the United States. The Commonwealth recently marked the one-year milestone since the market was introduced.
Virginia’s online sportsbooks witnessed an astonishing $3.2 billion in bets within the initial 12 months, making it one of the pioneering states to surpass $3 billion in revenue during its inaugural year.
Furthermore, gamblers can expect the upcoming availability of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks. The introduction of four Las Vegas-style casinos in Old Dominion, scheduled for 2022 and 2025, will undoubtedly contribute to the already substantial numbers.
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