Virginia Lottery Board; renamed as Virginia Lottery and Sports Wagering Commission, penalties. (SB1356)

Introduced By

Sen. Frank Wagner (R-Virginia Beach) with support from co-patron Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Virginia Lottery Board; rename as Virginia Lottery and Sports Wagering Commission; Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund; penalties. Renames the Virginia Lottery Board as the Virginia Lottery and Sports Wagering Commission (the Lottery) and directs it to operate a sports wagering facility at which the Department accepts wagers on professional sports and college sports, defined in the bill. The bill authorizes the Lottery to operate a digital platform to accept such wagers. The bill prohibits wagering on Virginia college sports and youth sports, also defined in the bill. The bill prohibits wagering by Lottery employees, participants in athletic events on which the wager is placed, and persons under age 21. The penalty for engaging in prohibited wagering is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill directs the Lottery to establish a voluntary exclusion program, which would allow individuals to request that the Lottery exclude them from buying lottery tickets or participating in sports wagering. The bill allows the Lottery to retain 2.5% of gross revenue, defined in the bill, to defray its costs of administering the program. The bill creates the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to be used to provide counseling to compulsive gamblers, implement problem gambling treatment and prevention programs, and provide grants to organizations that assist problem gamblers. The Fund would be funded by 2.5% of adjusted gross revenue. The remaining adjusted gross revenue generated from sports wagering accrues to the general fund. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/08/2019Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/19 19103067D
01/08/2019Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
01/18/2019Impact statement from DPB (SB1356)
01/28/2019Reported from General Laws and Technology (14-Y 1-N) (see vote tally)
01/28/2019Rereferred to Finance
01/29/2019Impact statement from DPB (SB1356)
01/31/2019Passed by indefinitely in Finance with letter (16-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)