Virginia is one of very few states in the U.S. that hasn’t legalized gambling until recently. Deciding not to take advantage of the Supreme Court decision, means that players within the state don’t have the opportunity to legally gamble at this moment in time. Is this likely to change in the future? We’ve taken a closer look to find out.
Current allowances
To simplify things, it looks very likely that casinos, both online and land-based, will be allowed in Virginia in the near future. This will ensure that the state is level with most of the other states in the U.S., as well as across the border in Canada, in offering casino gaming to residents.
There has been a bill that allowed sports betting and certain cities to open land-based casinos recently passed. However, this hasn’t led to any sites opening just yet. There are talks that it could take place but it requires a residents vote in order for them to be officially allowed. Once this vote has been confirmed the development can begin.
While this is, of course, not a guarantee that casinos will be available soon, it is a good sign, as it’s unlikely that developers would spend the money required to build a casino if the residents were unlikely to allow it to pass. This means that players within Virginia will be able to join the different players across the U.S. that are able to enjoy casino gambling. It’s expected to be in place for 2022, which would require a fast turnaround for any developments.
Benefits to legalizing gambling
One of the biggest benefits to Virginia once the sites are opened, would be the increased tax revenue. Places, such as Atlantic City, bring in large amounts of money through gambling revenue. This additional revenue in Virginia would make it much easier to build up infrastructure, and make the state a more prosperous place. It would also have a positive impact on the local economy as it would create jobs. It would also allow the local government to create more jobs, which again in turn, would stimulate the local economy.
It will also bring it in line with the rest of the country. While there are still a small number of states holding out, the majority of states have casinos available at this point. This would bring Virginia in line with other states and would stop Virginia residents leaving the state to gamble.
Likely offerings
The most likely options that will be available to players in Virginia when the casinos are opened, is as follows: Land based casino play, online casino play, land-based sports betting, and online sports betting. Although it hasn’t been floated at this point in time, the ability to play at online casinos is likely to follow the opening of land-based casinos.
Story by Kent Eide
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AFP
