Virginia has change into the newest in an ever-growing line of states transferring to block online sweepstakes casinos.
Becoming a member of states like Mississippi, New York, Indiana, and extra, Virginia Delegate Marcus Simon pre-filed House Bill 161 (HB161) on January 6, with plans to introduce it to the state’s Home of Delegates on January 14. The invoice would prohibit any type of sweepstakes playing not performed by a licensed operator in Virginia, outdoors of on-line on line casino playing.
Virginia turns into the fifth state to suggest a ban on sweepstakes casinos within the 2026 legislative session, becoming a member of Maine, Indiana, Florida and Mississippi. Virginia's proposed sweeps ban is a part of the iGaming invoice launched earlier this week. HB 161: https://t.co/SsJ5rUHZs1 pic.twitter.com/QtxWrtkgC9
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) January 11, 2026
Any violations of this invoice, if authorised, would result in “a civil penalty of no more than $100,000 for the primary offense and less than $250,000 for the second and every subsequent offense. Every day that such violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense”.
“The Board, the Workplace of the Legal professional Normal, and the Division of State Police might conduct investigations into violations of this part,” reads HB161. “The Board and the Workplace of the Legal professional Normal shall have the authority to implement the provisions of this part, together with conducting hearings, issuing stop and desist letters, and issuing subpoenas to make sure compliance with the provisions of this part.”
A wave of anti-sweepstakes payments
In the first two weeks of 2026 alone, Virginia is the fifth state to suggest such a ban, alongside Florida, Indiana, and Maine. Additional states additionally pursued such laws in 2025, together with New York.
If authorised, HB161 would permit authorised operators to pursue web gaming outdoors of sweepstakes, in response to sure rules. They might be required to pay an preliminary licensing price of $500,000 and a renewal price of $250,000, in addition to a 15% tax on adjusted gross web gaming income. That elevated tax income for the state would go to funds related to drawback playing, amongst different state priorities.
In Mississippi, lawmakers are attempting to close down on-line sweepstakes casinos fully. Below the proposal, just about any sort of on-line or computer-based playing could be unlawful, and that would imply hefty fines, attainable jail time, and even having property seized.
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