Members of the Virginia House General Laws Committee recently rejected two bills that would have legalized in-state betting on Virginia college and university sports.
First, HB 1127 was defeated, then the committee failed to pass SB 576 after it was approved by the Senate. State Senator Monty Mason reminded the House committee that illegal, offshore bets are being placed on Virginia college sports. He said, “I just want that final vestige behind closed doors below ground to go above ground and be tracked and traced.”
Among the reasons given for rejecting the legislation was that mobile sports betting was legalized in Virginia in 2020 and, as state Del. David Bulova explained, “It’s kind of a short period of time to be revisiting the issue.”
Bulova added college athletes are just “kids.” He noted state college and university officials felt strongly about this issue when the legislation passed. He said, “This is looking out after our Virginia students. This is making sure that we aren’t going ahead and putting our seal of approval on that kind of activity.”
For now, Virginia residents who want to legally wager on University of Virginia and Virginia Tech games must travel to retail sportsbooks in Maryland, or wager via retail and mobile sportsbooks in Washington, D.C. and West Virginia retail and mobile, among other venues.
