Sports-betting operators, lawmakers and public-health experts met in Richmond this week to argue for tighter responsible-gambling safeguards as Virginia’s legal market keeps expanding and the state heads toward another online-casino debate in 2027.
The Sports Betting Alliance hosted the roundtable on Sept. 2 at the Hilton Richmond Downtown. It was the first of four meetings on a month-long tour of Virginia, and it was co-moderated by SBA president Joe Maloney and Sen. Mike Jones. The alliance represents bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel.
As reported in July, lawmakers ended the 2026 session without reconciling competing bills that would have legalised online casino games. The issue is expected to return in 2027, even though Virginia already has 11 approved sports-betting permit holders, five operating casinos and a market that has generated more than $400 million in tax revenue since launch.
At the Richmond discussion, participants focused on how to keep gambling from tipping into addiction. Keith Whyte urged broader education campaigns, less exposure of minors to betting ads and celebrity endorsements, and tighter limits on language that can distort younger people’s view of gambling. He also backed a more proactive approach for young adults.
Research presented at the event said younger adults face a higher risk than older bettors. The same research cited the National Council on Problem Gambling’s 2024 survey, which found that 8% of U.S. adults frequently showed at least one sign of problematic gambling. The survey put the figure at 17% for traditional sports bettors and 24% for fantasy sports players. It also found online gambling participation rose from 15% of adults in 2018 to 22% in 2024.
Several speakers argued that operators should do more with the data they already collect. Public-health experts called for customer-data signals such as spikes in deposit frequency and betting times to be used to spot risky play, and they pointed to New Jersey, where regulators require operators to analyse player behaviour and contact bettors when warning signs appear.
Dr. Carolyn E. Hawley said money for treatment is only part of the answer, because states also need enough clinicians who know how to deliver care. Virginia directs a slice of sports-betting and casino tax revenue to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, but the experts said that the state must keep expanding training for local providers.
The discussion also sat against a regulatory framework that already requires Virginia permit holders to verify age, bar access to credit, display helpline information and responsible-gaming messages, and offer features such as self-exclusion and cooling-off periods. The next roundtable is set for Sept. 21 in Newport News, where the alliance plans to focus on brick-and-mortar casinos, protections tailored to the region’s military and veteran population and tighter restrictions on unregulated platforms.
