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Virginia Lottery Reviewing Online Betting

Virginia Lottery Reviewing Over Two Dozen Mobile Sports Betting Applications

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 14 December 2020

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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It has recently been announced that the Virginia Lottery is reviewing more than two dozen applications from operators for mobile sports betting. There will be 12 permits issued in total, and at present, there are 25 applications being looked at. It is thought that the first licenses could be issued in the early part of 2021.

According to officials, the Virginia Lottery Department is currently reviewing each of the applications to make sure that it meets the necessary state laws and will provide a safe and fair platform for sports fans in the area. If all goes to plan, sports fans in the state could soon be enjoying the many benefits of mobile sports betting.

A Combination of Established and New Providers

According to the department, the range of applications that have been submitted for mobile sports betting includes both well-known operators and new providers that are just starting up.

Kevin Hall, executive director of the Virginia Lottery, said:

There are national and international operators, some with names you would recognize. There are some entrepreneurs and some start-ups in that mix as well.

He also said that many of the more established sportsbooks that have applied will already meet the standards required. This means that once approval is given, they can get things started without delay.

The news will be welcomed by sports fans across the state, as it means that they can look forward to the excitement of mobile sports betting, greater convenience, and plenty of choices once all permits have been granted.

Mobile sports betting has taken off in a big way across the various states where it has been introduced this year. Despite the world of live sports being shut down for a period earlier in the year, people were still using sports betting platforms to wager on other activities such as foreign sports events and even ping pong.

The lockdown earlier in the year also helped to boost the number of people using sports betting sites as well as online casinos.

Helping to Boost the Economy

Of course, it is not just sports fans that will benefit once mobile sports betting is up and running in Virginia. The state will also benefit from more income through taxes generated by mobile sports betting, and this will prove invaluable after the financial devastation caused by the global pandemic over the course of this year.

Like many other state economies, Virginia has suffered since the early part of this year because of the impact of COVID-19. The closure of businesses, huge job losses, increased costs, and lack of tourism all had an impact on the state of the economy.

However, many other states have been able to recoup some of these financial losses through revenue generated by sports betting, and this is something that Virginia also hopes to do.

With the hope of getting some of the applicants approved by the early part of the coming year, state officials hope to see an improvement soon when it comes to finances and funding for essential services.