Virginia Puts Online Casino Bill on Hold for Further Study

With the new year underway, state legislatures across the country are reconvening, and gaming is once again a hot topic. Virginia has joined Maryland in introducing an iGaming bill ahead of its 2025 General Assembly session.

On New Year’s Eve, state Sen. Mamie Locke (D-Portsmouth) prefiled Senate Bill 827. The measure will become an official bill when the General Assembly convenes on Wednesday.

SB 827 proposes allowing Virginia’s five commercial brick-and-mortar casinos — Rivers Casino Portsmouth, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, Caesars Virginia in Danville, Boyd Gaming’s project in Norfolk, and Cordish Companies’ Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia in Petersburg — to operate online gaming platforms. Each casino would be permitted up to three iGaming skins (distinct online brands). A five-year license would cost $1 million, and online gaming revenue would be taxed at 15%.

Pushback Expected

Locke’s iGaming proposal is likely to face resistance. The Cordish Companies, which is building the Petersburg casino, has consistently opposed iGaming expansion in other states, arguing that it cannibalizes in-person casino revenue. Last month, Cordish General Counsel Mark Stewart told Louisiana lawmakers that iGaming leads to “less foot traffic, less revenue, and less reinvestment.”

Cordish operates online casinos in Pennsylvania but has opposed similar measures in Maryland, where it argued that online gaming is a “jobs killer” and poses greater risks, such as underage access and lack of in-person safeguards.

MGM Resorts, though not directly invested in Virginia, also lobbied heavily last year against gaming expansion in the state, spending around $755,000 to oppose efforts to legalize skill games and build a casino in Fairfax County.

Too Soon for Virginia?

While operators like Caesars and Boyd support iGaming in other markets and argue it complements brick-and-mortar casinos, Virginia’s casino industry is still in its early stages. Only three of the five permanent casinos have opened: Rivers Portsmouth in January 2023, Hard Rock Bristol in November 2024, and Caesars Virginia just last month. That reality may temper enthusiasm for a rapid iGaming rollout in the commonwealth.