On March 9, 2026, the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted to move the HB 271 iGaming bill, which means that the legalization of online casino gaming will not happen in 2026. The 11-3 vote postponed the proposal of creating a new Virginia Gaming Commission to regulate gaming in the state to the 2027
On March 9, 2026, the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted to move the HB 271 iGaming bill, which means that the legalization of online casino gaming will not happen in 2026.
The 11-3 vote postponed the proposal of creating a new Virginia Gaming Commission to regulate gaming in the state to the 2027 legislative session.
Virginia State Delegate Paul Krizek commented:
“The gaming landscape has changed a lot, and it continues to do so. And the lottery’s done a great job of managing the programs entrusted to it. But it was really created to operate games, not to serve as the long-term comprehensive gaming regulator. This gaming commission came out of a two-year study. And I think it’s time we bite the bullet and put it all into one. We’ve got too many agencies regulating gaming as it is right now.”
State Senator Creigh Deeds added:
“Our concern was just creating a separate bureaucracy from the one we already have, the lottery. We would like to try to figure out how to do all of it in one bureaucracy.”
SB 609, the Senate version of the same bill, still remains in conference.
The delay of the bill to 2027 aligns with the HB 161 iGaming bill, which is also in conference with a different committee. Krizek, Deeds, and Senator Louise Lucas, Finance and Appropriations Chair, are on the conference committee to address the legislation.