Online Casinos in Virginia & VA Gambling Laws 2024

The gambling scene in Virginia is a mixed bag in a lot of ways. It is not the most restricted state in the nation, but it also has some significant limitations. When it comes to online gambling, there are currently no activities that are legal.  This means that people in Virginia will need to rely on certain offshore platforms if they are looking to play their favorite casino games in an online environment. This guide looks at all aspects of playing these games and choosing from the best online casinos in Virginia today.

Top 3 Online Casinos in Virginia, VA

For those people who are living or visiting Virginia, there are currently no regulated online casinos for you to play. However, there is the opportunity to play casino games at one of the offshore operators that caters to this market.

We have carefully looked at the available options and have picked out a few options that could be a great fit for your needs. These three online casinos in Virginia are known for being trustworthy, enjoyable and having some great bonus offers.

  • Slot Title
  • Pay Back
  • Key Features
Bonus for first nine deposits, up to $5,000

  • Casino Payout: 97.92%
  • Payout Speed: 1-3 days
Bonus for first nine deposits, up to $5,000Play NowOur score:
Bonus for first nine deposits, up to $5,000
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Welcome Offer Up To $3,000

  • Payout rate: 97.89%
  • Payout Speed: 2-4 days
Welcome Offer Up To $3,000Play NowOur score:
Welcome Offer Up To $3,000
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200% Welcome Bonus of Up to $2,000

  • Payout rate: 91%
  • Payout Speed: 1-2 days
200% Welcome Bonus of Up to $2,000Play NowOur score:
200% Welcome Bonus of Up to $2,000
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Are Online Casinos in Virginia Legal? No!

Virginia gambling laws vary in terms of what is allowable and was it currently not legal. For many years, all forms of casinos were illegal in the state. However, over the past couple of years, there has been approval for commercial casinos in a number of cities in the state. This is hoped to generate new jobs and tax revenue for the state, as well as stimulating the local economy.

Online Casinos in Virginia

Pari-mutuel betting has long been legal in Virginia, with a number of off-track betting facilities being open to the public. There have been efforts to legalize historical racing machines (similar to slot machines) but this was ultimately defeated in the legislature.

Certain forms of charitable gambling are allowable, such as bingo, raffles and pull tabs. However, there is no allowance for charity poker tournaments. Lotteries have a long spanning history in Virginia, dating back to the 17th century.

The state lottery in its current form was created in 1987, with draw games, multi-state draws like Powerball and scratch-off tickets all being available. The State Lottery Department is in charge of the lottery operations, with no online ticket sales allowable.

There is the ability for social gambling games, such as home poker games, with nobody able to take a rake from a game. For sports betting fans, there are legal daily fantasy sports contests, but sports betting itself is not yet legal.

Is online gambling legal in Virginia?

Currently, there are no forms of online gambling in the state. A law in 2011 passed that meant that it is illegal to play at or operate an online casino that is based in Virginia. However, there is no mention of using offshore online casinos in Virginia. Therefore, many Virginia residents play at a selection of these out-of-state platforms.

Our Recommended Online Casino in Virginia

Our Rating

  • Wide-ranging game library
  • Great design to the platform
  • Welcome package up to $5,000
  • Customer support reachable 24/7
Slots.lv Online Casino

Top 3 online casino sites in Virginia

Legal online casinos in VA don’t look like launching any time soon. Therefore, you will have to rely on offshore operators to be able to enjoy casino games from the comfort of your own home or when on the go through the mobile casinos. Here is a list of the top three online casinos in Virginia today:

1. Slots.lv Casino - 400+ games to play ($5,000 welcome offer)

Slots.lv Casino has been around since 2012, being licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. There are over 400 different games for you to test out. It is one of the more wide-ranging game libraries that you will find among the online casinos that are available to players in Virginia.

NetEnt is one of the major game developers that has supplied titles to the platform, being a great gauge of the quality of the games you can expect. The video poker and table games variants are something different, meaning that you won’t grow bored playing the same basic variants.

Perhaps the standout feature of Slots.lv Casino is its live dealer offering. Once again, there is a nice smattering of different game variants, from table games to specialty live games. There is a decent betting limit range with the streams being in HD-quality. When you are looking to make a withdrawal, they are pretty fast, with the customer support team always being available for you to talk to. For those new Slots.lv Casino signups, the $5,000 welcome package is the ideal way for you to start off your new journey.

Our Rating

  • Wide-ranging game library
  • Great design to the platform
  • Welcome package up to $5,000
  • Customer support reachable 24/7
  • Currently no dedicated app

2. Ignition Casino - Leading bitcoin casino (First deposit bonus up to $1,000)

Ignition Casino is an offering that launched in 2016 and it holds a license in Curacao. The platform is being powered by both Rival Gaming and RealTime Gaming. The game library itself provides you with more than 300 options, with most bases covered. For video slots, you have some of the leading titles in the game on offer, as well as some lucrative progressive jackpots.

Table games and casino poker also have plenty of choices for you, with video poker, keno and bingo also being offered. Major credit and debit card companies like Visa and MasterCard can be used when making transactions, as well as having more niche options like Bitcoin available. The gameplay experience is very smooth and consistent no matter if you are using the Ignition Casino mobile casino or the desktop platform.

When making your first deposit, you can get a bonus worth up to $1,000 to start off on the right foot.

Our Rating

  • More than 300 games
  • Very good gameplay on desktop and mobile
  • Variety of transaction options
  • Deposit bonus up to $1,000
  • Table game options a tad small

3. BoVegas Casino - Quality over quantity (Welcome package up to $2,000)

BoVegas Casino also started in 2016 and is favored by many people in Virginia today. RealTime Gaming powers this platform that also holds a license in Curacao.

You have hundreds of titles to play, with worldwide popular video slots like Aztec’s Millions and Cleopatra’s Gold being on offer. You won't get bored with the variety of video poker or table games. If you enjoy a live casino offering, there are also plenty of options in this regard for you to check out.

The betting limits are ideal for beginners and high rollers. Both mobile and desktop gameplay is very good, with new signups getting access to welcome bonus package of up to $2,000.

Our Rating

  • Good selection of titles
  • Welcome package up to $2,000
  • Smooth gameplay
  • Focuses on quality over quantity
  • Site design is a tad old

How we rate the best Virginia online casinos

If you are looking to assess the quality of online casinos in Virginia, there are many different metrics to be looked at and considered. Certain areas will need more research and have a higher importance than others.

Through reviewing hundreds of platforms over the years, we have learned the best ways to judge the merits of different offerings. Being objective and comparing like for like is important, as it allows you to get a balanced idea of the different types of offerings. Here are some of the most common metrics that are looked at for online casinos in Virginia:

  • Range of game types offered
  • Depth of games per game type
  • Welcome bonus package
  • Performance on mobile
  • Loyalty rewards program
  • Promotions for current players
  • Ease of use of the platform
  • Range of support options
  • Quality of gameplay
  • Security and licensing

What to consider when choosing an online casino

As you have seen, there are a lot of different pieces that go into developing balanced online casinos. While these different forms of criteria are important, some of them should take priority.

You should decide what is most important for you in an online casino. This info can then be used to narrow down your options. Here are some of the aspects of an online casino that are most important to many players:

Legal standing

You want to be sure that the online casino you are signing up for is going to offer fair games and hold a license in some offshore location. You also want to ensure that withdrawals are honored in a timely manner.

Payout rates

For casino players, there is the enjoyment factor of playing the games themselves, as well as the monetary payout. You can see exactly what the payout rates at a given online casino may be.

Customer support

For any issues you run into with an online casino, you are going to want them to be quickly resolved. You should check the range of contact options, as well as response times for a given platform.

Payment methods

There may be certain types of payment methods that you prefer and want to ensure are available at a given offering. Also double check that they are fast and cheap to use.

Promotions

Welcome bonus packages are a favorite among new casino players as they allow them to kick off their new accounts on a strong footing. You may also want to see what promotions are in place for current players, as well as the rewards program details.

Software providers

Countless top software developers provide titles to leading offshore sites. By checking the available developers of a given casino library is a quick way to judge the merits of the offering.

The future of online gambling in Virginia

There has not been much progress made in recent years concerning legal online gambling in Virginia. This doesn’t look like changing any time soon either. The allowance for commercial casinos may soften up lawmakers in the state, once these start off on a successful foot.

Sports betting may also be a soft introduction into online forms of gambling that could pave the way for legal online casinos in Virginia. Things can change rapidly, so it is worth keeping an eye on the situation every now and then.

Where else is gambling legal in the US?

There is a boom in online gambling in the US. While there was a start a few years ago when online poker became massive before being outlawed, it seems that states are going to right way about legal online gambling these days.

The movement has largely been driven by having legal online sports betting. Any other states are now branching out into legal online casinos as they see the great margins that are available.

The other perks include better tax revenues for the state, as well as helping to eliminate the black market. To see what the online gambling situation is in a given state, you can have a look at the US map below:

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC

Play the best casino games online

If you love playing casino games, then you will be spoilt for choice with the best online casinos in Virginia. After signing up for an account, you can play a wide range of titles. If you want to learn some tips about improving your gameplay experience, you can check out one of the guides listed below:

Bottom line on Online Casinos in Virginia

While there are no regulated online casinos currently operating in Virginia, you do have the ability to check out many different offshore online casinos.

Many of these have top-quality games and are nice and reliable. Creating an account takes just a few minutes and you will be playing your favorite games in no time at all.

Casinos in Virginia FAQs

What is the legal gambling age in Virginia?

If you are looking to buy lottery tickets or place pari-mutuel bets you need to be at least 18 years old. For the upcoming commercial casinos, the legal gambling age will be set at 21 years old.

Are there Indian casinos in Virginia?

Currently, there are no tribal casinos in the state. Commercial casinos are on the way and they will be the first casinos in the state.

Can you play casino games for free in Virginia?

Many of the leading online casinos in Virginia will allow you to try out a selection of games for free. This mostly pertains to video slots titles.

Are there casinos in Virginia?

While there are no casinos currently in the state, commercial casinos are on the way in a number of the state’s cities. These will provide a boost to the local economies, as well as the state tax intake.

Can you play casino games on mobile in Virginia?

Yes, most leading offshore online casinos in Virginia will allow you to play either through a dedicated mobile app or through your device’s web browser.

About Andrew O'Malley

Alex has been writing about the gambling industry for more than five years, covering everything from sports betting to casinos and poker. With the sector constantly evolving, he loves nothing better than staying up to date with the latest movers and shakers in the space.