Who is this article suitable for – who can use this Virginia sports betting guide to their advantage?
The short answer to that is everyone. To go into more detail, those that are looking to open their first account will find everything they read in this guide vital to making the best decision possible, and those with a bit more experience will find the same information very useful when it comes to finding a new home for their legal sports betting in Virginia.
This guide will give you some useful tools to use in searching out for the
U.S betting sites
with the best bonus, and at the same time we will give you some tips to help keep you safe while you do this. Overall, this guide can help anyone wherever they may be on their Virginia sports betting journey, so make sure you read every word of this guide.
The legal history of sports betting in Virginia – how did Virginia sports betting get where it is today?
While not quite as dramatic as the sports betting New Jersey history, the gambling history of Virginia is an interesting one, but with very fewer significant events, featuring either changing legislation, or failed attempts at regulation. All of these are quite recent and started with legal charitable gambling in 1973; and, apart from various attempts to legitimize the river boat casinos that crossed over into Maryland, things remained quiet until the late 1980s.
At this point, the Virginia state lottery was approved, along with horse racing a year later in 1989. Charitable gambling saw further progression in 1995, and Colonial Downs was established as the sole Virginia racetrack in 1997, but for the purposes of this guide the significant event is the introduction of EZ betting booths in 2005.
This was the only form of remote betting until 2019 when online sports gambling was legalized, with a limited number of licenses made available the following year. This means that as an emerging state, operators are keen to attract what is a very large pool of motivated but inexperienced bettors.
Editor’s recommendation – we reveal our highest-rated Virginia sports betting operator
When looking for the best Virginia sports betting operator, there are a number of things to take into account. Clearly the first thing anyone notices about an operator is the bonus they get if they join, so that would have to be on point.
Also, you are going to want an operator that you can trust, especially in a state like Virginia where online sports betting is still in its infancy. This will mean that you may go to one of the bigger names that is established already in states where gambling has a longer pedigree, like New Jersey, but is also versatile enough to offer bespoke services in states where regulation might be different. Ideally, this operator will also be part of a bigger empire, and as such able to offer extra bonuses to loyal customers.
This is quite a wish list, and while Virginia Unibet was a strong contender, BetMGM is the standout one for us. It operates in a dozen states, many of which have different services available according to the local legislation.
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Five tips for a secure and fair gambling experience in Virginia – staying safe when you start legal sports betting in Virginia
As you already know, legal sports betting in Virginia is still very new, and as such, those experienced when it comes to online sports betting have probably arrived from out of state and might have played the best sports betting Pennsylvania has to offer. This means that opening your first account will be a learning experience for nearly everybody except those lucky few. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of things to look out for when you’re opening an account:
Can you contact the operator/customer service?
As a new customer you are going to have questions, and you need to check before you sign up or make a deposit that you are going to get useful answers in a reasonable amount of time. You are looking for live chat, email, and hopefully phone support, who all reply quite quickly.
Read the terms and conditions
This is where you’ll find things you don’t quite understand (don’t worry, small print does that to most people) and customer support can clear that up for you. While you’re reading through these, you’ll also see a few of the things that operators might not mention upfront, so you need to be sure you’re happy with all of them.
Check out the online reviews
User reviews won’t give you the full picture (you’ll need to check out some more in-depth reviews like the ones on this site for that) but it will show up any red flags that you need to watch out for like significant software glitches or problems with withdrawals.
The chances are that you will have seen this while scanning the T&Cs, oryou have come across it on the footer of the homepage or in the ‘about’ page or in the FAQs. If you haven’t, then this should set alarm bells ringing, and you should probably bail if you don’t get an adequate response from customer support.
Look for 128-bit encryption
There are a couple of security aspects that you need to look out for, but the first of those is usually flagged by your browser if you try to visit a site with an address that starts with http instead of https. This will mean the site’s security certificate is not valid and your data won’t be as safe as it could be. This governs your financial transactions, and the thing you are looking for on the deposits page is 128-bit encryption, which is used by banks and financial institutions.
What do we look for when evaluating operators for Virginia residents?
So, we’ve established that Virginia won’t have too many experienced online sports betting experts, but that’s OK because you can borrow ours. We carry out ratings and reviews for all of the operators you are likely to come across, all according to standard criteria which we apply across the board.
Checking operators out for you
This starts by looking in depth at the bonus. It’s designed to attract you with a large bounty, but we look further than the big numbers to see what the wagering requirements are and report back if they are the real deal or if you are likely to spend a week or so just giving the operator their money back as well as most of yours. Once we’ve checked that out, we look at the site itself to see if it’s easy to use or if you will spend ages looking for the basic stuff like your account details or waiting for the pages to load. We also look at the mobile sports betting Virginia app to see if it will do the job when it comes to in-play betting.
We’ll also examine which options are on offer; as well as any fees or delays, and we’ll check out customer support to see if you’ll get useful answers to problems just like those. As you’ve seen already, we will check if the license is in order and we’ll look at the benefits for you if you stick around long term, in the form of VIP or loyalty schemes.
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With all that you’ve seen so far, you will have realised that even though Virginia is still a new state when it comes to online sports betting, there is plenty of choice if you know where to look. This means that you are able to look for exactly what you want, rather than just accepting the first operator you see.
For instance, if you are looking for an operator who you can stay with for a while, you’ll need one with an excellent loyalty program (something that is often overlooked by many operators), or if you’ve got quite a large betting bank, then an operator with a massive upfront bonus might be a perfect fit for you.
Alternatively, if you want more than just sports betting, you might want to try a different operator like the Virginia Unibet, and see if there is a Virginia casino Unibet that operates.
Of course, you probably haven’t got time to go through each operator yourself, but you can use the reviews on this site to do the legwork for you. As you know, we review each one according to the same factors, so you should be able to compare them easily and come up with a small ‘hit list’ to take a closer look at.
Conclusion – by using this guide, finding the right Virginia sports betting operator should be a piece of cake
After reading this guide, you should have all of the information you need in order to make the best choices possible when it comes to Virginia sports betting. You have seen how we examine operators for you, and how we measure them up against each other. You’ve also seen how we used that process to come up with a recommendation for the best operator we’ve found.
If you want to make your own choice, we’ve put together a guide so you can sidestep some of the less legitimate operators you’ll come across and have a safe and fair experience. It doesn’t stop there – this site has other resources you can tap into, as well as all the Virginia sports betting news. So by coming back regularly you can really stay on top of your Virginia sports betting game.
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Virginia sports betting FAQ
❓ Is sports betting legal in Virginia?
Gambling legislation is changing in many states, with some allowing online wagering for the first time. However, the rules and regulations will vary from state to state, making it hard to know exactly what the situation is where you are. For that reason, we’ve put together a special Virginia sports betting guide so you know if you can legally place a sports wager online in this state.
🎰 Can I play slots online in Virginia?
The developments in wagering regulations across the country has meant some big changes for some states where you could only ever play slots at one of the licensed casinos. While these changes have been adopted in some states, others have only legalized sports betting. To discover if you can play slots online, or if Virginia sports betting is your only wagering option, read our free online guide.
📰 Where can I find the latest Virginia sports betting news?
Keeping up to date with the latest sports betting news is vital if you want the best Virginia sports betting experience possible. You will learn about which operators you can trust, the best deals and welcome bonuses that savvy bettors can take advantage of if they act quickly. To find out the best sources for all the latest Virginia sports betting news check out TheGruelingTruth.com now.
💡 Which is the best Virginia sports betting operator?
Even though Virginia is relatively new to online sports betting, there is no shortage of choice about where you could open an account. Rather than check each one out individually, which could take a lot of time and lead to a costly mistake, you could use our recommendation for the best operator, or use the resources in our guide to legal sports betting in Virginia to help you make the right decision.
