Virginia is often associated with the word ‘first’ but that’s not the word you think of when you look at legal real money poker in VA. Jamestown, Virginia, was the first permanent English Settlement in what would eventually be known as the United States. The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first representative form of government in North America. And Virginia was the birthplace of the US’s first President, George Washington. However, it certainly isn’t the birthplace of real cash Internet poker gambling.

Poker Room Details Venue Type Hotel & Casino Casino reopened on June 5, 2020. Rewards Program Players Club G-Rewards The Greenbrier Details. Virginia Code § 11-14. Gaming contracts void. Except as otherwise provided in this section, all wagers, conveyances, assurances, and all contracts and securities whereof the whole or any part of the consideration is money or other valuable thing won, laid, or bet, at any game, horse race, sport or pastime, and all contracts to repay any money knowingly lent at the time and place of such game.

Unfortunately, when it comes to online gambling and poker websites, the word most likely to be associated with the Old Dominion State will be ‘last.’ Ever since the first settlers arrived, Virginia’s state officials have been vehemently opposed to legalizing gambling, in any form, including poker betting. And although its stance towards opening land-based casinos and lawful poker gambling venues where VA residents can play games like Texas Hold’em poker has begun to loosen in the past several years, for the foreseeable future Virginians will most likely have to travel across VA state lines to get their online gambling real money Internet poker fix. Which is unfortunate, considering Virginia and its over 8.1 million inhabitants could support a healthy online poker website community.

Bettors in The Old Dominion State will be happy to know that there is a wide selection of real money US poker sites to choose from.

Virginia Officials Abstain from Poker Debate

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4 The Facts

Proponents of legalized gambling and legit real cash poker websites in Virginia suffered a crushing blow when the Virginia Supreme Court refrained from ruling on whether poker could be classified as a gambling game of skill ^[1].

In 2010, Charles Daniels had his charitable poker betting hall shut down by Portsmouth Commonwealth Attorney, Earle Mobley. Daniels filed a lawsuit to overturn the ruling on his legal poker gambling venue, and brought in 2004 WSOP Main Event Champion poker betting pro Greg Raymer to support his case. Raymer informed the Portsmouth judge as to why poker was a game of skill. And although the judge acknowledged Raymer’s argument, he cited that Virginia law banned any and all wagering and real cash betting on uncertain outcomes, and ultimately upheld the ruling.

Daniels brought the case before the Supreme Court, claiming that the law regarding the skill portion of gambling law was vague and unconstitutional and it wasn’t clear on what sort of game real money poker was. The court refused to resolve the skill issue, and dismissed Daniels’ case.

Can Players from Virginia Play Poker Online?

Despite Virginia’s strict stance against commercial casinos and real cash poker rooms, finding a real money poker website that accepts players from the United States is fairly straightforward, just take a look at our home page where we cover the best real cash US poker websites in 2020.

While most Virginians will be traveling to Maryland to play live real money poker, they’ll have little problem creating an Internet poker account with an online poker website, depositing funds via a credit card or MoneyGram and taking to the virtual felt at plenty of poker websites. The entire process should take no longer than five minutes.

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Is Online Poker Legal in Virginia?

Legislation regarding the legality of online poker and Internet poker betting in Virginia resides in a murky gray area. At best Virginia’s real money poker gambling laws are outdated and vague. At worst, they’re downright contradictory, especially when it comes to gambling on legal Internet poker in VA.

While we’re no legal authority on the subject of legit real cash poker websites, we have taken the time to thoroughly examine Virginia poker betting law, and can provide you with some clarity regarding its gambling and Internet poker statues. If anything, by learning the poker gambling laws you’ll be better prepared to ask a legal authority the right questions about how lawful poker websites in VA are before making the decision to play a few hands of Texas Hold’em poker online.

Virginia does provide a definition of the term illegal gambling. It states that placing a bet or wager in this Commonwealth of real money or other thing of value, made in exchange for a chance to win a prize, stake or other consideration or thing of value, dependent upon the result of any game, contest or any other event the outcome of which is uncertain or a matter of chance. Although Virginia’s definition of gambling is fairly comprehensive, it fails to mention what renders a game a contest of chance or whether real cash poker is a game of chance. Section 18.2-325
According to Section 18.2-326 anyone found guilty of illegal gambling or poker betting will be charged with a Class 3 misdemeanor. Placing a bet and gambling on the outcome of a horserace outside of a racetrack licensed by the Virginia Racing Commission can result in a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The penalties for operating an underground poker gambling or betting ring in Virginia are more severe. Operators can be charged with a Class 6 Felony and if the operation has been in business for a period in excess of thirty days or brings in over $2,000 on any day, the person in charge shall be fined not more than $20,000 and [be] imprisoned not less than one year nor more than ten years in a Virginia prison. Section 18.2-328
Virginia hates cheaters. Anyone caught cheating while gambling or poker betting is subject to a fine up to 10 times the amount won via the cheating.
Ironically, Virginia gambling law permits social gambling, meaning its residents are free to host home poker games of real cash Texas Hold’em, in so long as a rake is not being taken.

For more information regarding Virginia’s gambling and poker betting statues, check out the References section ^[2]:

The Facts

The History of Gambling in Virginia

Considering it was the first colony to inhabit European settlers, it comes as little surprise that Virginia’s gambling and legal poker betting history dates back further than any other US state. As far back as the early 1600s the early settlers and the Indians tribes would wager on the outcome of athletic events and games of chance by betting real money. The English would also introduce the first card games to North America before real cash poker took off.

By 1610 the Commonwealth enacted the first anti-gambling and betting laws, in an attempt to at least control its influence. They ultimately failed. Gambling and real money betting grew throughout the 1700s and into the 1800s. In the latter part of the 19th century more legal gambling laws were implemented, but they too would fail.

By the 1920s horseracing gambling became popularized in Virginia, as did pari-mutuel betting, but it wouldn’t be until 1997 that Virginia’s first and only horseracing venue, Colonial Downs in New Kent County ^[3] would open to the public. On opening day, more than 13,000 people, most of them Virginia’s real cash betting faithful, poured into the arena.

The lottery also has a long and storied history in Virginia, as some of the United States’ first presidents were strong advocates of it and other forms of gambling (but not lawful real money poker betting). However, Virginia didn’t establish its first modern lottery until 1988. Due to Virginia’s strong stance against gambling, it would take over 10 years of political infighting before legislation legalizing the lottery was finally passed in VA.

Regulated Gambling Options in Virginia

Gambling In Virginia Beach

Although several forms of gambling are deemed illegal by Virginia law, the state still boasts a myriad of regulated legit gambling options. In addition to the aforementioned horseracing and lottery, pari-mutuel betting is enjoyed by millions of Virgin

Poker In Virginia Beach