Virginia promises to have sports gambling available before the Super Bowl

The state is working quickly to get sportsbooks operational before the big game next month

Virginia may have missed out on the sports gambling possibilities of the NFL regular season, but it doesn’t want to miss the single most important betting event of the year. The Super Bowl has always been a huge attraction for sports gamblers and this year won’t be any different. However, with less than a month before the two remaining NFL teams battle for the rights to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, Virginia is still putting the final touches on its sports gambling market. State gamblers don’t need to worry, though, as everyone is positive the first sportsbooks will be up and running before the Super Bowl.

The Virginia Lottery was tapped to lead the sports gambling scene last year and has been trying to get everything in place as quickly as possible. Since the state has no land-based casinos, only online sportsbooks will be available, which should make a rollout a little easier. According to Kevin Hall, the executive director of the Lottery, “We’re close to the end zone, and once we begin to issue the first licenses — and once the sportsbooks feel like they’re ready to go — they can go live.”

Every state that has authorized online sports wagers has been glad they made the call. The online segment is proving to be much stronger than land-based options and Virginia’s mobile-only sports gambling market has the chance to hit the ground running. The state ranks 11th in terms of income and 12th in terms of population. With no other gambling activity available (except for the lottery), Virginia should see an explosion of wagers ahead of the Super Bowl if it can get everything put in place in time.