Virginia has vastly expanded gambling over the past few years, and another new form, iGaming, was debated at a committee hearing in Richmond Tuesday morning.

Virginia’s shift to online gambling has been dramatic — and has led to significantly more money flowing to state coffers. But offshore betting websites — unregulated, illegal and untaxed — are on the rise and competing for gamblers’ dollars.

Data is transforming responsible gambling. Regulated online gambling platforms are using sophisticated data analytics and technology to detect signs of problematic play and intervene before harm occurs.

In the eyes of many gaming corporations, not to mention lawsuit plaintiffs and state regulators, sweepstakes casinos act as traditional casinos, only without the oversight, consumer protections and tax laws.

Fliff and similar apps can essentially groom underage people, advocates warn, training them to gamble at ages when they are more susceptible to addiction.