RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — In anticipation of expanded gaming in the commonwealth, the Virginia Lottery launched an online microsite designed to provide “key information and public transparency” as the agency begins to develop regulations for the expansion.
Legislation was passed during the 2020 General Assembly session making way for legalized gambling in the state, including measures that permit sports betting and the construction of five large casino resorts in Virginia.
The microsite can be used as a tool to research legislation, participate in the process of rule-making and look into regulatory requirements and deadlines.
A release from the agency lays out how the microsite works, specifically for casino gaming and online sports betting:
Casino Gaming
“For casino gaming, the site includes important information about materials required to be submitted by eligible host cities and their designated gaming partners for the Lottery’s preliminary review. The casino legislation requires the Lottery to conduct a preliminary review of each city’s casino development plans and a preliminary assessment of the financial viability of each city’s chosen casino gaming partner. These preliminary reviews are required before the city can have its proposal placed before voters in a local referendum during the Nov. 3, 2020 general election. This week, the Lottery notified the mayors and city managers in each of the five eligible host cities that the agency will be prepared to accept and begin reviewing their preliminary certification materials on June 1, 2020.”
Online Sports Betting
“Additionally, the Lottery microsite includes information about regulations governing online sports betting. The sports betting legislation requires the Lottery to award between four and 12 licenses for mobile sports wagering in Virginia. The legislation requires the Lottery Board to adopt initial sports betting regulations no later than Sept. 15, 2020, including 30 days of public comment on the proposed rules. After regulations are adopted, the agency is provided 90 days to review completed applications from potential operators and anticipates the first preliminary sports betting licenses could be awarded late in the year or in early 2021.”
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
