How To Bet In Virginia? VA Sports Betting Guide

How to bet on sports in Virginia has become a popular topic because the state launched online and mobile sports betting in January 2021. What felt like a long, drawn-out process has come to fruition and bettors in Virginia are excited to see how this environment will shape up.

With a lot of licenses available in the state at present, this should be a great atmosphere for those that like shopping around for the best odds or like having a lot of options to choose from. A big part of the process of sports betting is getting set up at a place that fits your needs and with a lot of operators in the legal Virginia sports betting sphere, there will be something for everyone.

Sports betting certainly took some time. With one horse track and no casino gaming facilities, the fact that wagering even made it to Virginia in the timeframe that it did was a marvel. It also meant that the state basically had to start from Square One in terms of getting everything organized and set up.

Fortunately, Tennessee launched on November 1, 2020 and was a few months ahead of Virginia in the process of being the first all online, all mobile sports betting state. Tennessee has no brick-and-mortar gaming facilities, so the state became something of a guinea pig for the other 10 states without casinos.

Virginians voted to approve the construction of four casinos during the November 2020 election, but those will have no bearing on sports betting in the state until they are finished and the state’s first retail sportsbooks are open. Instead, betting can be done online with the sportsbook website or on mobile devices with either the app or a mobile site.

Big brand names are already up and running in Virginia and others are soon to follow, making this one of the least restrictive states for sports betting in the country.

Virginia is actually following in Tennessee’s lead. Tennessee was the first state in the US to launch all online and mobile with no brick-and-mortar gaming facilities. That means that Virginia is a Remote Registration state, wherein you can bet on sports from anywhere in the state and you can even sign up if you live outside of the state. You just have to be physically located in Virginia to place bets and make deposits or withdrawals.

Geolocation technology will confirm your physical location and allow you to place legal sports wagers so long as you are within the state borders.

A lot of the primary sports betting operators along the East Coast will set up shop in Virginia and avail themselves to the betting public. FanDuel was the first to go live in January 2021, with DraftKings, BetMGM, and William Hill all beginning operations around the same time. Additional operators will keep opening up as Virginia sports betting grows.

Now that you know the background and the options, we have to get you signed up to bet on sports in Virginia. Let’s talk about that process:

Step 1: Pick the Right Sportsbook for You

Because Virginia is going to be a pretty open market for sports betting, prospective bettors will have a lot of choices. You can read through the sportsbook reviews that we have here at ATS.io to make an informed decision on where you want to post up.

All sportsbooks have different functions and features. Some promote Responsible Gambling more than others and allow users to put limits on how much they can bet daily, weekly, or monthly. Some have more prop betting options than others. Some have most of their spread odds at -110 instead of -114 or -115. Some offer bigger sign-up bonuses, while others offer more daily and weekly bonuses.

There are a lot of positives and negatives about the different places that are out there. Some of the apps might just look better to you or may have a cleaner looking interface. Others might be too busy and overwhelming.

Comfort is king. It is hard enough to win money betting on sports without complicating matters by betting with an app that you don’t like or by not being able to find what you need when you need it.

For example, you may find a 100% Deposit Match Bonus at BetMGM or at BetRivers, but might prefer the larger selection of props from DraftKings. You might not like the “dark mode” color scheme from DraftKings, but like the whites and blues that make it easy to navigate the FanDuel app.

You might love PointsBetting, the higher-risk, higher-reward option at PointsBet, but might trade that for the -110 odds at William Hill.

Personal preference is important. Do your research here at ATS and find the right sportsbook for you.

Step 2: Sign Up at the Sportsbook of Your Choice

It could be multiple sportsbooks, as the ability to shop around for the best odds and the best betting options by taking a survey of more than one sportsbook is a great way to improve your bottom line.

Even if it is only one sportsbook, the process is extremely easy. These websites and mobile apps are designed to filter players to the Registration section first, the Deposit section second, and then the Odds third. So, with that in mind, it will be easy to find the spot to sign up.

Some basic personal information is required, nothing you haven’t given out before to sign up for a variety of different things, and then your account will be verified virtually. That is because Virginia is a Remote Registration state.

If you click on a link through us at ATS to get an exclusive sign-up bonus, you’ll likely be sent to the sign up or register section right away. If not, it won’t be hard to find. Look for a big button or a Sign Up link at the top of the screen.

All operators use state-of-the-art cybersecurity and encryption technology to keep your personal and financial information safe. It would be devastating for any sports betting app to have a data breach, so they take it very seriously.

Step 3: Make a Deposit and Get Your Welcome Bonus

Sign-up bonuses are a big part of the equation. The legalized sports betting world affords you an option that you may not have experienced before. If you are out in Vegas and want to place a college basketball bet or an NFL wager, you don’t get a welcome bonus. Not even close.

With places like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers, PointsBet, and William Hill, you do get a little sweetener when you sign up. Some could be worth as much as $1,000 in value. Most are around $250 or $500. But it is a good way to give your bankroll a boost and to get started off on the right foot with your account.

If you click to sign up with a sportsbook through ATS, you should already get the best promo offers, but you may want to enter the bonus code just in case, like ATS150 or ATS 300 or something like that. Make sure you get your deposit bonus. Don’t get shut out.

Making a deposit is easy. There are a lot of options. After all, the sportsbooks want you to deposit with them. Credit card and debit card are the two most popular methods, but you can also use electronic bank transfers and transactions like e-check or ACH. Bank wires may even be possible. Some states and sportsbooks also offer third-party payment processors like PayPal as deposit methods.

Step 4: Start Betting and Determine Your Goals

It is really important to know what you want to get out of sports betting. If this is “fun money” to add some enjoyment to the game or have a nice, little hobby, keep it that way. If you want to bet larger amounts in hopes of supplementing your income, that is another option. Just be aware that it will be a lot more stressful going about it that way.

Don’t bet over your means under any circumstances. If it comes down to paying a utility bill vs. making a bet, taking your family to dinner or placing a wager, you’re doing it wrong. Don’t do that. Bet responsibly.

Bet smartly. Find the best odds. Bet sports you feel like you can do well in. Don’t let it consume you.

Operators started lining up prior to the launch of online and mobile betting in January 2021. FanDuel was the first to go live, followed by a host of others, including DraftKings, William Hill (via Caesars), BetRivers, and BetMGM. These are all great options and are listed among our best US sportsbooks.

With Remote Registration and no brick-and-mortar gaming facilities, all of these sportsbooks are available for everyone in Virginia and any new sportsbooks will be available as well.

BetMGM Sportsbook

BetMGM Sportsbook is a global leader in the gaming world. Their resort and casino properties span the globe and they have a large footprint in the United States when it comes to sports betting as well. Virginia will officially be the ninth state for BetMGM as far as sports betting in the United States is concerned.

You can get a 100% Deposit Match Bonus up to $500 from BetMGM.

BetRivers Sportsbook

BetRivers isn’t in as many states as some operators, but they are very popular in the states that they do business, like Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This should be a name familiar to Virginians because of how well things have gone in those two markets, though BetRivers is under the PlaySugarHouse name in New Jersey. They are also a very popular sportsbook in the Midwest in states like Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. Now, they’ve come to Virginia.

You can get a 100% Deposit Match Bonus up to $250 at BetRivers.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook is a name that everybody knows. Beginning with a huge presence in the United States in the fantasy sports community, DraftKings became a sports betting operator basically right when the Supreme Court decision to overturn PASPA came down on May 14, 2018. They have an extensive collection of betting odds and one of the largest customer bases in the US.

You can get up to a $1000 sign-up bonus from DraftKings.

FanDuel Sportsbook

The first sportsbook to go live in Virginia was FanDuel on late January 2021. FanDuel has the largest market share in the United States and is an absolute powerhouse in every state that it operates. With the ability to parlay a lot of different props and a really clean, professional look, this is an extremely popular, ever-expanding sports betting app.

You can get up to a $500 Risk-Free Bet from FanDuel as a sign-up bonus.

William Hill

William Hill has a large presence around the world. William Hill US is relatively new with a start in 2012, but the William Hill UK brand began back in 1934. William Hill operates a ton of retail sportsbooks around the United States and also operates in an increased online and mobile capacity since the Eldorado Resorts and Caesars merger that gave William Hill control of the sportsbooks.

You can get up to a $500 Welcome Bonus from William Hill.

More operators coming soon…

Virginia is about as open as a sports betting market gets. All of the major players will eventually be up and running in the state and the online and mobile capabilities lead to a convenient, comfortable, easy-to-use environment for all Virginians. You don’t have to leave the couch to place a bet. You can bet while waiting to pick up the kids from a friend’s house or if you get a bit of news from a buddy at the bar.

There are a ton of options for Virginians and we’re happy to help by answering any and all questions you may have about what’s best for you. Don’t hesitate to reach out or reference our sportsbook reviews and other How To content right here at ATS.io.