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Virginia sports betting officially went live in January 2021 after the state legalized betting in 2020.
At the start, sports betting in Virginia will take place via mobile and online sportsbook apps, which have become increasingly popular through the legal US sports betting market.
FanDuel Sportsbook launched the first app through a partnership with the Washington Football Team.
More sports betting apps are in the approval process in Virginia. DraftKings Sportsbook is licensed and live, and BetMGM and BetRivers began operation in January 2021 as well. William Hill joins the market in February 2020.
Here is more of what you need to know about Virginia sports betting.
Virginia sports betting now live in 2021
Legal Virginia online sports betting
Virginia sports betting became legal in April 2020, when the Virginia state legislature passed a sports betting bill.
Betting on sports in Virginia eventually will become available from anywhere within the borders of the state. Mobile VA sports betting on smartphones will allow bettors to sign up for and fund accounts through apps on your device.
You do not need to live in Virginia to bet on sports in the state. You will, however, need to be physically located in the state to place a wager legally.
The state lottery oversees VA sports betting. Regulations are already in place, and more than two dozen sportsbooks have applied to operate in the state. There could be up to a dozen apps available throughout Virginia eventually.
Best Virginia sportsbook apps
State law mandates that there will be a minimum of four and a maximum of 12 VA sportsbook apps available.
FanDuel Sportsbook launched first, and DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, and William Hill followed closely. Many more sportsbooks will offer sports betting apps in Virginia. Many of these brands are participating in new markets throughout the US legal market:
Generally speaking, more sportsbooks in a given state lead to a better market. Competition to gain customers often leads to sportsbooks offering better signup offers and promo codes. These can include free bets or deposit matches, ranging from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.
This is not necessarily a complete list of potential VA sportsbooks. Your smartphone device will use geolocation technology to verify that you are within Virginia before allowing you to bet with these sportsbook apps.
Here’s some more information on some of the biggest sportsbooks that will likely find their way into Virginia:
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings, a leader in both daily fantasy sports and sports betting in the US, has been aggressive about getting into every state possible, and it went live in the state in January 2021.
If you’re a new bettor, you can receive $50 free, plus up to an addition $1,000 in bonus offers.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel is the current US leader among all sportsbooks in terms of amount wagered, Virginia is an obvious choice for the FanDuel sports betting app. The app provides weekly promotions, daily odds boosts and a live betting tool.
Bettors in the state get up to a $1,000 risk-free bet upon a first deposit.
BetMGM Sportsbook
The sportsbook from MGM Resorts International has been similarly aggressive entering every online sports betting state it can. It will not have a brick-and-mortar casino in the state, but does have one in neighboring Maryland. MGM started its app in January 2021.
Bettors should get a deposit match bonus of up to $500, based on what MGM does in other states.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers parent Rush Street Interactive partnered with the upcoming Rivers Casino Portsmouth to launch sports betting in Virginia. The brick-and-mortar casino will come later but the mobile platform is available now.
Bettors should be able to access a bonus offer comparable to that available in other states.
William Hill Sportsbook
Caesars will build the casino in Danville; Caesars is also buying William Hill. One plus one equals a VA sportsbook from William Hill, a big operator in Nevada and the UK, with a growing footprint around the US.
Sportswagers Nfl
William Hill offers up to a $500 free bet on a first deposit in many other states.
Virginia sportsbooks at casinos
As Virginia sports betting launches, there aren’t any physical sportsbooks. Part of the reason why? Virginia casinos were approved in 2020 referendums and will be built in the coming years. And there should be sportsbooks at those casinos eventually.
There could also be physical sportsbooks at sporting venues, like Virginia’s two auto racing tracks.
Free Sports Wager No Deposit
Latest VA sports betting news
Virginia Closer To Adding 5 More Mobile Sports Betting Licenses
The bill sponsors that helped legalize sports betting in Virginia last year are a step closer to fixing a mistake in their legislation. Both Sen. Jeremy McPike and Del. Mark Sickles submitted bills this year to clarify the cap on mobile sports betting licenses. SB 1254 and HB 1847 make it clear that the five […] Read MoreThe whole betting process can be a bit overwhelming for new sports bettors. There are so many different types of wagers to learn. After you read this guide to the types of bets, you will no longer be confused as to how to bet on sports.
Every sportsbook offers multiple types of wagers for most sporting events. So, after choosing a betting app, once you get logged in and make a deposit, you’ll see a list of games and matches with various wagers. On events such as the Super Bowl, there are literally hundreds of different types of bets you can place.
On most sporting events, however, you’ll find standard betting types that we are about to explain. Here’s a list of all of the wager explanations you’ll find on this page along with examples.
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How Do Sports Betting Odds Work?
Effectively betting on sports – turning a profit – requires an understanding of the odds. You can’t win every bet you place. In fact, many great sports bettors lose around 40 percent of the games they play. They don’t have to win them all because over time, if they play the odds correctly, they’ll win.
To help you understand how betting odds work, we created a spreadsheet. The following is based on standard point spread odds. For this example, we’ll use a 2018 Week 17 game between the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings. We’re betting $110 on the Bears to cover.
| Point Spread | Line | Juice |
|---|---|---|
| -6.5 | 110 | $10 per $100 wagered |
In this example, we needed the Bears to win by at least seven points to win the bet. And if that happened, we turned a $100 profit. Fortunately, Chicago came through with a 24-10 victory to cover the spread.
The point spread line (-110) is in place to help the casino turn a profit. If the sportsbook offered even money on this type of wager, they wouldn’t turn a profit. Let’s say $500,000 is bet on the game, half on both sides, the casino would pay $250,000 in profits to one side and collect $250,000 from the other for a break-even game.
That’s where the juice comes into play. When the casino gives less than even-money odds, if they get even bets on both sides, they automatically come out ahead.
Understanding the Different Types of Sports Bets
Sports Wagers Public Betting
We’ve already discussed the basics of betting the point spread, which is the most standard form of betting on football and basketball. When you bet the point spread, you don’t care if a team wins or loses, only that they cover the spread.