Could Virginia Soon Allow Betting on In-State College Teams?
Virginia Suspending Legal Betting: Bill Pushed to 2025
A bill that would allow Virginians to bet on in-state colleges and universities has been tabled until the state’s 2025 legislative session.
Last week, the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted unanimously to push the bill to next year rather than address it during the current session.
Let’s take a closer look at the implications of Virginia suspending legal betting on in-state schools.
Big Picture
At the moment, Virginia residents aren’t allowed to legally bet on in-state colleges from within state lines. This leads to some bettors traveling across state lines to wager on in-state teams or even using unregulated sports betting sites.
Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg recently introduced Senate Bill 124, which he believes could benefit the state in a multitude of ways.
A similar legislative effort was made in 2022, only for it to be squashed in the House. VanValkenburg is optimistic about finally getting the bill passed, but it’ll still be a while before it reaches Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk for a signature.
Theoretically, Van Valkenburg’s bill, if passed, could lead to more revenue in an already bustling market. Locally, interest in college athletics is high. Virginia and Virginia Tech both have strong followings in football and basketball, along with Group of Five schools such as George Mason, James Madison, Liberty, and VCU.
In the meantime, Virginia suspending legal betting on in-state schools continues on.
Concerns at Play
Some legislators worry that such a measure could create a slippery slope in which college athletics become more susceptible to bribery and game fixing. But VanValkenburg insists it’s actually safer to sports betting nd regulate it.
“You can ban it, but people are still going to do it,” VanValkenburg said via richmond.com. “The fear that this is going to corrupt or put pressure on Virginia athletes, that’s already there. We’re already living in that world.”
Furthermore, VanValkenburg said additional revenue is merely a “secondary benefit in this case.”
“To be honest, I would be okay with our general fund not depending on gambling at all,” he said via sportshandle.com “For me, it’s mostly about the regulation and monitoring component of it.”
What Van Valkenburg’s bill would not legalize is college player prop betting. That market continues to prompt concerns from legislators, who have joined the NCAA in calling for sportsbook operators to discontinue offering prop bets for games involving collegiate athletes. Bettors, however, would still be allowed to wager on point spreads, Over/Unders, etc.
Ohio is one state in particular that’s considering heeding that request following a letter published recently by NCAA president Charlie Baker, in which he expressed concerns about the “significant increase” in the harassment of student-athletes on Ohio because of betting.
“Sports betting without appropriate controls poses real risks to the well-being of student-athletes and to the integrity of collegiate competition — risks which are heightened by individual prop bets,” Baker said in a statement.
Virginia a Big Player
Virginia hosts several of the leading sportsbooks, including DraftKings, FanDuel and bet365. Twenty-eight other U.S. states, plus Washington D.C., now offer mobile sports betting, with neighboring North Carolina set to join the market next month in time for the NCAA Tournament. A handful of other states are the active legislation stage.
Since sports betting became legal in Virginia in 2021, business has been booming. Virginia residents wagered $639 million in November alone, according to BetVirginia.com.
Stay tuned for more updates as assess the implications of Virginia suspending legal betting on in-state schools.
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