In Virginia, state Senators Chap Petersen, Mark Sickles and Marcus Simon are sponsoring three different sports betting bills. Petersen said although the details are still being determined, “I think the concept itself is going to flow through. I’ve talked to a couple people who are not crazy about it, starting with my mother. But I don’t think the moral stigma is all that much anymore.”
Petersen noted many Virginians are traveling to Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, West Virginia, where sports betting is legal. Keeping gambling dollars in the state is the primary reason proponents are promoting the three measures. Virginians also travel to Maryland to gamble at casinos; Virginia is one of only a few states that do not allow casino gambling, although historical racing machines are legal at Colonial Downs racetrack.
Simon said it’s important that sports bettors have transparent wagering platforms. He also supports a provision allowing a gambler to temporarily block himself or herself from wagering.
All three proposals would limit wagering on collegiate to some extent; Petersen’s would ban nearly all college betting and Sickles’ bill would prohibit wagers on Virginia-based colleges and universities. In addition, the measures vary on whether the state lottery or a different entity would regulate sports betting.
Simon said it’s possible lawmakers may delay sports betting legislation and instead appoint a committee to study the issue and report back in the 2020 session. “What all of our bills have in common is the realization that this presents a huge opportunity, and we need to make sure we set the rules and protect our residents,” Simon said.
The conservative Family Foundation already has expressed its opposition to sports betting. President Victoria Cobb said, “The goal of the gambling industry is to come into any state and make legalization and expansion look like a fait accompli and they have applied that strategy here in Virginia. They still work against decades of our legislature reviewing the ramifications of gambling and rejecting its worst forms.”
