Virginia House of Representatives Approve Own iGaming Bill

• Members of the Virginia House of Representatives today approved HB 161 to legalize iGaming in the state
• The approval came one day after the Senate approved its own iGaming bill
• The House legislation will have to also be approved in 2027 before going into effect

The legalization of Virginia iGaming has taken a big step forward in the last two days, but significant hurdles still remain before the Old Dominion State can finalize the new form of gaming.

One day after the Virginia Senate approved an iGaming bill, members of the Virginia House of Representatives approved HB 161 by a 67-30 vote, crossing the bill over into the Senate.

The House bill was approved in a similar fashion to the Senate’s bill; it failed on its first vote before being approved for reconsideration, passing on its second vote.

Two Days, Two Approved Bills

The House approved HB 161, a bill to legalize iGaming in the state, by an ultimate vote of 67-30. However, earlier in the day the legislation had been voted down 46-49, before being brought back up for reconsideration.

It was a similar process as the Virginia Senate, who yesterday approved iGaming bill SB 118 by a 19-17 margin after it had been initially defeated during its first vote.

Both pieces of legislation will now be considered in each chamber. While the bills are similar, the House approved version has a more difficult road ahead of it to be signed into law.

John Pappas, State Advocacy Director for iDevelopment and Economic Association (iDEA), applauded the Senate and House’s approval of the iGaming bills.

“This week’s votes are a major step forward for Virginia. We applaud lawmakers for advancing legislation that will expand consumer protections, strengthen the land-based casino industry, and generate significant new revenues for the Commonwealth. Notably, this progress comes despite a wave of misleading claims from opponents that mischaracterize how regulated iGaming works and what it actually means for consumers, accountability, and Virginia’s existing gaming industry. There is still significant work ahead to reconcile the House and Senate versions and get this across the finish line, but the momentum and the facts are clearly on the side of a safe, regulated marketplace.” he said.

One Big Difference Between Bills

The House iGaming bill requires passage in both the 2026 and 2027 legislation sessions before it can be signed into law.

It is the largest difference between the two bills. The Senate version of the iGaming bill only requires approval in the 2026 session, but it sets a similar launch date of July 1, 2027, if signed into law.

Members of the House and Senate will now have to come to an agreement on an identical iGaming bill if they hope to send the legislation to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to be signed into law.

iGaming Bill Details

Both pieces of legislation are similar in terms of framework. Casino gaming operators will be able to partner with up to three iGaming operators to conduct iGaming in the state through an initial $2 million platform fee. Additionally, approved iGaming operators will be required to pay a $500,000 initial licensing fee.

The bill authorizes the state’s iGaming tax rate at 15% of an operator’s adjusted gross gaming revenue. The legislation earmarks 5% of revenues allocated to the state’s Problem Gambling Treatment Fund, 6% allocated to the iGaming Hold Harmless Fund until Jan. 1, 2030, and the remaining 89% before Jan. 1, 2030, and 95% after Jan. 1, 2030, allocated to Virginia’s general fund.