Best online sportsbook Virginia has an easy first half and a less obvious second half. FanDuel beat every other operator to market by four days in January 2021 and has led the state's mobile handle ever since, with DraftKings a steady second. The part that catches bettors off guard isn't the ranking — it's realizing, mid bet-slip, that Virginia Tech, UVA, and every other college player prop on any team simply aren't on the board, and never have been.
FanDuel Launched First, and Never Gave Up the Lead
The Virginia Lottery's own fiscal-year report lists FanDuel as the first operator to accept a legal wager, on January 20, 2021. DraftKings followed on January 24, with BetMGM and Caesars both going live January 27 — four books in one week, before Virginia had a single physical casino open to pair them with. FanDuel has stayed on top on reported handle through every period with public operator-level numbers since, including September 2025, when it took in roughly $271 million against DraftKings' $227 million.
Virginia sports betting, by the numbers
- Enabling law: SB 384 / HB 896, signed April 22, 2020, effective July 1, 2020
- Regulator: Virginia Lottery
- Mobile launch: January 20, 2021 (FanDuel first)
- Tax rate: 15% of adjusted gross revenue
- Permit range: 4 to 12 standalone mobile permits, more allowed for in-state pro-team partners
- FanDuel share (Sept. 2025): roughly 37% of reported handle
- DraftKings share (Sept. 2025): roughly 31% of reported handle
Why You Will Never See a Virginia Tech Prop Bet
Two separate rules do the work here, and they don't expire. First, no operator licensed in Virginia can take a bet on any contest involving a Virginia-based college team — not the spread, not the total, not a futures bet on making the tournament. Second, and broader, no operator can take a player-prop bet on any college athlete, anywhere, Virginia team or not. A Virginia Tech game is off the board entirely; a Duke-Kansas game is bettable on the spread but carries no player props. Massachusetts and a few other states wrote in an exception for tournaments with four or more teams — March Madness, conference championships. Virginia didn't, and March Madness 2025 came and went with every in-state team unbettable start to finish.
Is Sports Betting Safe in Virginia? One Regulator, No Casino Requirement
Every operator on this page answers to the same body, the Virginia Lottery, under the same 2020 statute — there's no secondary or gray-market tier. Virginia was also unusual for its era in never requiring an online sportsbook to partner with a physical casino to get licensed, which is why FanDuel and DraftKings were live a full two years before Virginia had its first retail casino floor. Caesars is the exception worth knowing: it now has an actual retail counterpart, Caesars Virginia in Danville, which opened in temporary form in 2023 ahead of a permanent build.
So Which App Is Actually Worth Downloading?
FanDuel first, on tenure and handle; DraftKings second, close enough that promo terms matter more than brand. BetMGM and Caesars are the honest licensed alternatives, with Caesars standing out for its tie to a real Virginia casino. Whichever app you pick, the college betting gap is universal — it's state law, not a missing feature in one app's build. This is still 21+ entertainment with a house edge, not a way to make money; the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling helpline, 1-888-532-3500, is free and confidential around the clock.
The short list
- 1. FanDuel — Virginia's first operator, still the market leader
FanDuel accepted Virginia's first legal mobile wager on January 20, 2021, and has held the largest reported share of the market in the years since — about 37% of handle against DraftKings' 31% in the most recent operator-level figures reported for September 2025.
- 2. DraftKings — Live four days after FanDuel, a consistent second
DraftKings launched January 24, 2021, and has run second to FanDuel on reported handle every period with public operator data, including roughly $227 million in September 2025 handle against FanDuel's $271 million.
- 3. BetMGM — Part of the original four-book launch, licensed statewide
BetMGM went live January 27, 2021, alongside Caesars, and held about 17.9% of Virginia's market through the state's first full reporting year — a clear third nationally, and in Virginia, behind the same two leaders.
- 4. Caesars Sportsbook — The only pick tied to an actual Virginia casino
Caesars launched the same day as BetMGM and, unlike every other operator on this page, has a real retail counterpart in the state: Caesars Virginia in Danville, which opened as a temporary casino in 2023 ahead of its permanent build.
The honest verdict
FanDuel has led Virginia's mobile market since it became the first operator live, on January 20, 2021, and it has stayed on top on reported handle through 2025 — DraftKings, which followed four days later, is the steady second. BetMGM and Caesars rounded out the original four-book launch on January 27, 2021, and both remain safe, fully licensed picks if you want a different app under the same Virginia Lottery oversight; Caesars is the one name on this list actually tied to a Virginia casino floor, at Caesars Virginia in Danville. What makes Virginia worth a second look isn't the ranking — it's the fine print every one of these apps operates under. The Commonwealth bars bets on any contest involving a Virginia-based college team, and separately prohibits player-prop bets on college sports entirely, in-state or not, with none of the tournament-only exceptions some states carved out for their own schools. A 2026 bill, HB 1527, would lift the in-state team ban for Division I games at a steep 50% tax on that specific revenue, while leaving the prop ban untouched — as of this writing it has not become law. None of this is a way to make money; it's 21+ entertainment with a built-in house edge, and the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling helpline, 1-888-532-3500, is free and confidential.
Questions this list actually answers
What is the best online sportsbook in Virginia?
FanDuel, on tenure and reported handle — it was the first operator live, on January 20, 2021, and has led the market since. DraftKings is a consistent second. BetMGM and Caesars are the other two original launch-day books if you want a different licensed app; Caesars is notable for having an actual retail casino counterpart in Danville.
Is online sports betting legal in Virginia?
Yes. Governor Ralph Northam signed SB 384 and HB 896 on April 22, 2020, the law took effect July 1, 2020, and the Virginia Lottery — the state's regulator — approved the first mobile operators to go live starting January 20, 2021. Virginia never required a retail casino tie-in for online licenses, unlike several states that launched around the same time.
Can you bet on Virginia Tech or UVA games in Virginia?
No. Virginia's law bars wagering on any contest involving a Virginia-based college program, home or away, win totals included. A 2026 bill, HB 1527, would allow bets on Virginia Division I teams specifically at a 50% tax rate on that revenue, but it had not passed as of this writing.
Why can't I find college player prop bets in Virginia?
Virginia bans player props on college sports across the board — not just for Virginia teams, but for any NCAA game, including out-of-state matchups like Duke or Alabama. Game-level bets (spread, moneyline, total) on non-Virginia college teams are allowed; props on any college athlete are not, and the pending 2026 bill would not change that part of the law.
How many sportsbooks are licensed in Virginia?
Virginia's law sets a floor of four and a ceiling of twelve standalone mobile permits, with an exception that lets the Lottery issue more to operators tied to a professional sports team based in the state. The Lottery had approved roughly a dozen operators within the market's first couple of years and has continued adding names since.