Lawmakers Prohibit Wagering on In-State Universities within Virginia
In Virginia, aspiring college bettors might find themselves out of luck for a while yet, as legislative efforts to allow in-state wagering on schools like the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech have consistently fallen through the cracks.
First offender, HB 1127, was nixed by the House General Laws Committee. Later, SB 576 hit a dead end in the same committee after being introduced by Sen. Monty Mason.
There were several reasons cited by House members as to why they weren't on board with the legislation. Mobile sports betting was legalized in Virginia back in 2020, and Del. David Bulova felt it was premature to revisit wagering on Virginia college athletic programs in 2022.
"It's kind of a short period of time to be revisiting the issue," Bulova shared.
Bulova also pointed out that the college athletes are just "kids." He urged keeping Virginia college athletes out of the betting spotlight, a stance that Virginia colleges seemed to agree with a couple of years ago when the legislation initially passed.
"This is looking out after our Virginia students," Bulova stated. "This is making sure that we aren't going ahead and putting our seal of approval on that kind of activity."
The obvious counterarguments, swiftly brought up by Sen. Mason, are that under-the-table, offshore bets are already being placed on Virginia college programs, and regulating that gambling in a legal market could help curb corruption.
"I just want that final vestige behind closed doors below ground to go above ground and be tracked and traced," Mason said.
Mason didn't even raise the potential revenue increases from allowing bettors to wager on UVA and Virginia Tech via mobile sportsbooks like BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel.
For now, folks in Virginia itching to legally wager on UVA and Virginia Tech will have to venture across state lines. Maryland sports betting retail locations, West Virginia retail and mobile options, and Washington, D.C., retail and mobile sportsbooks are among the places that accept legal wagers on Virginia college athletic programs.
Meanwhile, there's been a bill introduced that would prevent sportsbook operators from co-opting the slogan "Virginia is for bettors" for advertising purposes, which seems to be getting broad support. If enacted, violating the law could lead to fines of up to $50,000.
The ongoing debate about whether Richmond should hold another casino referendum in November has politicians divided. While Richmond City Council members and Mayor Levar Stoney are aiming for a second referendum, Sen. Joe Morrissey wants to give Petersburg the chance to hold a casino referendum instead. The budget proposal for Virginia, thus far, would prevent Richmond from holding another casino referendum until 2023.
The repeated legislative failures over college sports betting highlight the friction between financial opportunity and concerns about integrity, student welfare, and public attitudes. Proposals continue to be debated, but the issue remains unresolved due to these persistent concerns.
According to research, there are several reasons for the repeated failures, including concerns about athlete and student welfare, institutional opposition, regulatory uncertainty, political compromise challenges, and precedent and risk aversion. On the other hand, legalization advocates argue for economic benefits, consumer protection, consistency, and potential job growth. These arguments are summarized in the table below:
| Argument Type | For Legalization | Against Legalization ||---------------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|| Economic | Increased tax revenue, job creation | Social costs, potential harm to athletes || Regulatory | Consistency, consumer protection | Regulatory complexity, integrity concerns || Social | Demand for legal betting, market growth | Risk to student-athletes, institutional pushback |
- Despite the legalization of mobile sports betting in Virginia in 2020, the legislative efforts to allow wagering on in-state colleges like the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech continue to 'fall through the cracks', such as with HB 1127 and SB 576.
- Sen. Monty Mason, a proponent of college sports betting, argues that it is crucial to bring 'under-the-table, offshore bets' out into the open, citing the potential to regulate and 'curb corruption' in the sports betting market.
- In spite of the potential for economic benefits like increased tax revenue and job creation, persistent concerns about athlete and student welfare, institutional opposition, and regulatory uncertainty have led to the repeated failure of college sports betting bills in Virginia.
