Protect kids. Protect consumers. Keep money here in VA.
Every day, people across Virginia are placing bets on online casinos — using unregulated platforms with no age verification, no safeguards, and no oversight, putting Virginia’s kids at risk.
These illegal, offshore sites cost Virginia billions in lost revenue.
Regulating online casinos would shut down the illegal market, keep consumers and young people safe, and bring dollars back to Virginia communities.
THE FACTS:
- Unregulated online casinos operate outside of the law, with no licenses, age verification, or responsible gaming programs, putting consumers — especially minors — at risk.
- These sites deprive Virginia communities of $1 billion in new taxable revenue every year.
The New York Times reports:
Sweepstakes casinos pay no gambling tax — thanks to the loophole they use to avoid being classified as gambling.
“Companies that operate either in the black market or in the gray market are directly competing for revenue with licensed regulated entities,” Mr. Steinkamp said. “And that certainly impacts tax dollars.”
The Washington Post reports:
Unlike regulated sportsbooks and casinos, sweepstakes casinos don’t have to offer responsible gambling services, age verification or other consumer protections. Yet more than a million Americans play each month, and the games drew nearly $6 billion in player purchases last year, including $1.9 billion in net revenue, according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, a research analyst firm. The firm predicts those numbers will more than double next year.
Online Casino Games
Unregulated online casino platforms are exploding in popularity across the United States. A recent Washington Post investigation detailed how unregulated iGaming platforms – like Chumba and VGW, Stake, and WOW – evade U.S. gaming laws and safeguards that prevent minors from gaining access and dodge billions in tax revenue that states could use to fund important priorities.
LATEST NEWS
This year, the General Assembly has an opportunity to enact comprehensive legislation — House Bill 161 and Senate Bill 118 — that protects Virginians from predatory platforms, creates jobs and collects new tax revenue from licensed igaming operators
Many sites do not have strong identity verification and are able to advertise on social media with little oversight. Tech-savvy young people in the United States can gamble on them using false identities and readily available software to mask their locations, often unbeknownst to their parents
By last year, was collecting $1.05 billion in taxes from digital casinos, compared with $188 million from sportsbook apps. The revenue from casino games is significant: Pennsylvania’s entire state budget is about $50 billion
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