Is it safe to bet online in Virginia?
The state of Virginia legalized sports betting in April 2020 with a bill that allowed mobile bets to be placed with online sign-ups and registration.
After a few months of licensing and registrations the first legal online sportsbooks finally went live in early 2021.
As of the time of writing there are currently five active sportsbooks in the state of Virginia that are fully licensed, and therefore safe to wager with.
We can expect up to 7 more sportsbooks to set up shop in the near future, as state law only allows a maximum of 12 sportsbooks. The Virginia Lottery is responsible for the new sports betting industry in Virginia.
For a state to be considered safe, it must be a licensed sportsbook in Virginia and you must be within state borders when you wager with them.
You are legally allowed to sign-up with them anywhere in the US, just not spend any money until you are within state lines.
Washington D.C. which predominantly lies in the District of Columbia which does not allow online sports betting.
However, you are allowed to register and sign-up with a Virginian online sportsbook in the District of Columbia.
To wager with the sportsbook, you will need to cross the Potomac River into Virginia State. Already many Washington D.C: residents are taking the short trip to suburbs such as Arlington and Alexandria to place a bet.
You can legally place an online wager in:
- Arlington, Virginia
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Fredericksburg, Virginia
- Reston, Virginia
Safe betting in Virginia: The rules
- The first and most important point is that you must register with a legal online sportsbook that is licensed in Virginia. Remember, you can sign up in Washington D.C. and play around with the app, you just cannot place a wager.
- You must be 21 years or older to place a bet in Virginia. You will need to provide your address and the last four digits of your social security number to prove your age.
- You can sign-up, desposit and wager online. There is no in-person registration required.
- You must select a payment option(s) which you can deposit and withdraw with. Since, it is not always possible to withdraw money with the same option, such as Mastercard or Visa as you did with your deposit then it is important that you check if there is a viable withdawl method. We can recommend PayPal, which is offered by all sportsbooks currently live in the state.
- Then you must bet on an event which is legal in the state. For example, betting on Virginia’s NCAA college teams is not legal. However, if you have registered with a licensed online sportsbook they will simply not allow you to place any wager on an event featuring a college team.
Is it safe to bet on sports in Virginia?
Yes. You must use a licensed online sportsbook. In 2021, the following sportsbooks are operational and safe to use:
Is it safe to bet in Washington D.C.?
It is not legal to bet on sports in the areas of the city which fall in the District of Columbia.
However, you can bet using a legal online sportsbook such as FanDuel or DraftKings in any of the following suburbs:
- Arlington, Virginia
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Fredericksburg, Virginia
- Reston, Virginia
Is Fanduel in Virginia?
Yes, as of January 2021, FanDuel is live in the state of Virginia. They are also partnered with the NFL team, the Washington Football Team.
Is it safe to bet with a Virginia sportsbook if I am in Maryland?
You are legally allowed to register and sign-up to a Virginian online sportsbook in Maryland. However, you must be within Virginia state lines to place a bet or deposit money.
Is it safe to bet in West Virginia?
Yes, It is legal to bet in West Virginia.
There are a number of online sportsbooks that are now operational in the Mountain State.
Legal & safe online sportsbooks in Virginia
FanDuel Virginia
The online sportsbook was instrumental in pushing through the sports betting bill in Virginia, thanks to its partnership with the Washington Football Team. The NFL franchise were keen to see either Maryland, where the FedEx field is located, or Virginia allow online sports betting. The team’s stadium is up for lease in 2027, and there have been suggestions that they may choose to relocate across the state borders. It has been suggested that Virginia’s bill was a sign of goodwill towards the team.
As a key partner of the NFL team, FanDuel was granted the first license in the state.
It was only a matter of a few weeks before their main rivals, DraftKings were allowed to go live, but this has still given the sportsbook a huge competitive advantage.
FanDuel, is an entirely safe and trustworthy online sportsbook, especially in Virginia where they are so integrated with the most popular sports team. The sportsbook is heavily invested in the state, and is committed to providing the best service to its customers.
DraftKings Virginia
The online sportsbook, like it’s main rival Fanduel, began its life as a daily fantasy sports operator. The company’s DFS and Sportsbook products are enjoyed by millions of customers. Their product in Virginia is secure, reliable and safe.
DraftKings received their license in 2020, and went live in January 2021.
BetMGM Virginia
The online brand of the MGM resorts has become the third largest online sportsbook in the country. Their product is safe, secure and reliable. They were the fourth online sportsbook to go live in Virginia in 2021.
BetRivers Virginia
The online sportsbook is one of the smaller brands operating in the US. However, they have a nice product, which is proven popular with customers in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Illinois.
- Bet365
The British Sportsbook is one of the most popular brands in the world. They have millions of customers across Europe and Asia and have proven extremely successful in New Jersey where they are already operational.
The company is a stalwart of the sports betting industry and is 100% safe to use. We expect that they will launch a Virginia sportsbook app in late 2021.
- PointsBet
The Aussie online sportsbook has been the surprise of 2020. The company, which offers its unique form of points betting has shown unexpected growth across a large number of US states including New Jersey, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Colorado.
PointsBet has an excellent product and thousands of loyal customers across the country. They have tried to be one of the first sportsbooks to set up shop in each state that legalizes online sports betting. For this reason we expect that they will launch in the state of Virginia in mid-2021
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