Virginia lawmakers will "consider fully legalizing online sports betting" during their '20 legislative session, according to Katishi Maake of the WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL. Since the Supreme Court's ruling on sports betting in '18, Virginia leaders have been "assessing gaming, and its potential returns, more broadly." A Virginia House bill that "would have legalized online and retail sports betting died early last legislative session," though the General Assembly later "passed a Senate bill, SB 1126, that, among other things, tasked the state's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission with studying the impact of sports betting." Now, SB 384, introduced earlier this month, would "fully legalize online sports betting" in the state. The bill "calls for the Virginia Lottery to regulate that market, requiring entities to apply for a three-year permit and pay an application fee of $250,000." Virginia's efforts "coincide with those of its nearest neighbors." The Maryland General Assembly last week introduced two Senate bills and two bills in the House of Delegates that "would let voters decide whether sports wagering should be allowed in the state via voter referendum." DC, meanwhile, "already moved quickly to legalize sports betting last year, specifically to get ahead of both Maryland and Virginia" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/29).
