#Virginians

Virginia Legislators Introduce Legislation to create a Problem Gambling Committee. They are concerned that expanded gambling will lead to an increase in problem gambling. Online sports betting went live in Virginia in 2021. Rivers Casino in Portsmouth's grand opening on Jan. 15 represents the first permanent casino opening in the state. Hard Rock Bristol is operating out of a temporary location. Just over 20% of high school students gambled or placed a bet over the last year. 64% between the ages of 18 and 25 have gamble in last month.

Two cross-party legislators in Virginia introduce legislation to form a Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee. The committee would be made up of experts in the field of problem gambling. The state has legalized sports betting and brick-and-mortar casino gaming throughout 2022. Hard Rock opened its temporary casino location in Bristol in July. Four more casinos could be opened under the state’s law. Cordish Companies recently unveiled proposals for a $1.4bn development in Petersburg.

Virginia lawmakers want to create a new state committee on problem gambling. The state and local governments are trying to generate more tax revenue from gambling, including the lottery, casinos, sports betting, horse racing and slots parlors. Problem gambling hotline has seen a 143% increase in intake calls over the last three years. More than 21% of Virginia high schoolers said they had gambled or placed a bet in the past year. If approved, the committee would be chaired by the state’s problem-gambling prevention coordinator and feature representatives from all state agencies that regulate gambling and the gambling industry.

Virginia lawmakers want to create a new state committee on gambling addiction. The state and local governments are chasing extra tax dollars from the lottery, casinos, sports betting, horse racing and slots parlors.

DraftKings' online casino offering in West Virginia has been expanded effective June 24, 2022. The expansion offers more iGaming products including live dealer games. DraftKings introduced its online casinos in the state almost two years ago. It launched its suite of virtual, branded table games and popular slots in association with Hollywood Casino at Charlestown Races in July 2020.

Today IWG digital instant win games launched on the Virginia Lottery’s iLottery gaming platform. It's the 23rd WLA/NASPL-member lottery to launch the instant-win games portfolio from Iwg. The integration took just weeks. I wg's content already live across the growing North American ilottery markets. It includes Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania in the US, the Atlantic Provinces, Québec, and British Columbia in Canada.

Virginia Lottery Board has approved Rivers Casino Portsmouth's operator license. The $300 million project is slated to become fully operational by early 2023. It will have 1,448 slots, 57 table games, 24 poker tables, five restaurants/bars and banquet and event space. Casino owner Rush Street Gaming plans to hire 1.300 permanent employees. The first one was awarded in April to Bristol’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which opened as a temporary property in July. Virginia Lotteries” gaming compliance department and legal counsel assisted in the decision by conducting investigations and background checks on the applicants.

The Virginia Lottery Board approved the casino facility operator's license for the Rivers Casino Portsmouth. It is the second casino operator’s license issued in the state. The first was awarded in April to Bristol”s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Two more proposed casinos are in development in Danville and Norfolk. Rivers casino plans to open its $340 million casino in early 2023. The casino will have 1,448 slots, 57 table games, 24 poker tables, five restaurants/bars and banquet and event space.

Report: Virginia Lottery should be state’s primary gambling regulator. Report: The state could have financially viable casinos in Petersburg, Richmond, or both cities. The report also found that the Virginia Racing Commission doesn't have the staff to carry out its regulatory mission. By 2025, when four casinos are expected to be open, total wagering could grow to $21 billion. In 2018, roughly $3.4 billion was wagered on state lottery games, charitable gaming, and traditional horse racing. That number grew steadily as the state approved more ways to gamble.

There are only four regulators overseeing entire horse racing industry in Virginia. The industry is booming, but the regulators are understaffed and unprepared to regulate it. The state needs at least 15 employees to oversee the current HHR facilities. There are planned facilities in the state that will increase the number of regulators to 22. It is estimated that the industry will grow to $13 billion this year. Hhr machines are the biggest driver of revenue in V.C. and have increased in popularity since 2018. They are similar to slot machines. Their mechanics are different.

NeoPollard Interactive commends the Virginia Lottery for its exceptional iLottery achievements in fiscal year 2022. The Virginia lottery has exceeded $1.3 billion in top-line sales in its second year of operation. The Lotteries eInstant portfolio contributed 95% of program revenues. Net gaming revenue posted impressive 60% growth over the previous year. New mobile application and increase in available online draw games contributed to Lotters' success. iLotto is powered by NeoDraw Central Gaming System. It delivers the speed, flexibility and functionality consumers expect when purchasing draw game in the e-commerce environment.

Three Virginians win $1 million, $10 million and $20,000 in Friday night's Mega Millions drawing. The jackpot is $790 million. Next drawing is Tuesday at 11 p.m.

The Virginia Lottery has been a regular feature in the region's stores since 1987. The pandemic did cause drops in sales of scratch and drawing tickets in March and April 2020, but sales soon recovered. On July 1, 2020 the lottery began online sales. The online and brick-and-mortar site sales contributed to increased lottery sales in 2020 and 2021. Border localities like Bristol and Northern Virginia benefit from out-of-state sales, especially for commuters and shoppers.

RSI has integrated its BetRivers sportsbook into its existing online casino offering in West Virginia. The company has operated its online casinos in the state since April 2021. It claims its platform has already grown to capture a share in low teens of the market. In April, the Betrivers mobile sportsbooks app was independently ranked in top 4 out of 41 apps in United States market by gaming research firm Eilers & Krejcik. The app offers customers a wide breadth and scope of betting markets and content across various sports leagues. RSI CEO Richard Schwartz is excited about the expansion of its presence in W.V.

Rush Street Interactive, Inc. (RSI) is adding its industry leading online sportsbook to its existing online casino at BetRivers in West Virginia. Now sports fans can join gaming enthusiasts to place bets quickly and securely from the integrated Betrivers iOS and Android apps and website. In April, RSI's Bet Rivers mobile sportsbooks app was ranked in the top 4 out of 41 apps in the United States market by gaming research firm Eilers & Krejcik. Rsi has operated online casinos in W.V. since April 2021.

Maryland casinos recorded their fourth-best single month ever with $170.6 million in combined revenue in March.

Gambling in Virginia has changed recently. Sports betting for Virginians, 21 years or older, became legal in April 2020 and active in January 2021. Eastern Shore Community Services Board will conduct an environmental scan around Problem Gambling and Gambling and a Community Readiness Assessment. About 1% of U.S. adults have a severe gambling problem and 2-3% have mild or moderate problems. The study will help develop a strategy around prevention and treatment programs. It will also focus on the Eastern shore. There are many gambling opportunities and ads in restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores and retail stores.

Virginia saw a 10.4% increase in its leisure and hospitality industry in the first year of legal sports betting. Ohio is planning to launch legal betting by the end of 2022. The leisure industry provided jobs for over 335,000 Virginians.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The Virginia Council on Problem gambling is working with the Virginia Lottery to raise awareness. There is a helpline available at 1-888-532-3500. The call is confidential and available 24/7 by phone, text, or chat. Online sports betting, charitable gaming, and horse racing are included in the VEP. It is funded by the Lotteries. They promote responsible play. Their role has expanded to include licensing and regulation of sports wagering and casinos.

PointsBet Casino is now live in three states. The company launched in West Virginia today. It secured an online casino license approval in Pennsylvania on January 20th.

Richmond residents voted against opening a casino 51.2% to 48.8% Tuesday. The $565 million project would have constructed a 100,000-square-foot casino and a 250-room hotel in South Richmond. Norfolk and Portsmouth citizens approved their projects in 2020 ballot referendums. Norfolk, Portsmouth, Danville and Bristol are the four remaining cities licensed by the Virginia General Assembly to build casinos.

West Virginia is the smallest of the full-featured US online gambling markets. There are currently five online casinos in the state. Caesars Online Casino and WynnBet Casino are coming to West Virginia.

Virginia Lottery online play surpasses $1 billion won by players. Biggest online win so far is a McLean woman, who won $2 million playing Powerball. Three players each won $1000 a week for life playing Cash4Life. Online lottery games help generate profits for K-12 education. Customers must undergo robust identity and age verification checks before they can participate. Anyone who is at least 18 years old and physically located in Virginia can play online by setting up an account at www.valottery.com.

Virginia has authorized construction of five retail casinos at a cost of nearly $2.3 billion. It also passed legislation to create seven licensed online sportsbooks and an iLottery. Online casino gamling and online poker are not included in the legislation. The state legislature won't reconvene until January 2022.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. One in 50 West Virginians are affected by problem gambling. The governor recognized First Choice Services for its outreach to address the problem. The group contracts with 20 different youth groups to talk to kids about the dangers of youth gambling and to set a limit. Some people with problem gamblers commit suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling call 1-800-GAMBLER. for help.

The City Council voted 8-1 to place a referendum on the November ballot regarding the ONE Casino + Resort. If a majority of voters approve, the casino would be built at Commerce Road and Walmsley Boulevard in South Richmond. The project is estimated to create 1,300 jobs and generate $562.5 million in revenue. In the digital economy, casinos are just a symbol of larger disruptive technologies in our hands. In January, internet sports betting launched in Virginia. It has emerged as the top Virginia Lottery product. According to RTD Sports, it was the first state to reach $1 billion in sports bets placed.

BetRivers.com has launched in West Virginia. It is the only online casino in the state today. West Virginians can play slot games and table games. They can also redeem their loyalty points for the chance to win prizes. RSI was the second largest online gambling company in U.S. for fourth quarter and full year 2020. New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania are states where Rsi operates its market-leading online casinos. R SI was also the No. 1 online gaming company for neighboring Pennsylvania. The company's focus is on building player trust.

BetRivers will enter the West Virginia online casino market in early 2021. It will be the first mobile-only online gambling platform for Mountaineer Casino.

Rush Street Interactive partners with Century for online casino in WV. Rush Street will launch its BetRivers.com site in the state pending licensing and regulatory approval form the West Virgnia Lottery.