Racing, DFS and lottery
Virginia Online Horse Betting
Horse betting in Virginia is legal. You can bet in person at licensed racing venues or online through licensed advance-deposit wagering sites, and you must be 18 or older. These are the racebook platforms we review:
Age 21+ Entertainment, not income Help: 1-888-532-3500Advertising disclosure
- 1T
Twinspires
$200 Sign-Up Bonus
New customers from Virginia can open a Twinspires account and claim a $200 sign-up offer. Please read the full offer terms & conditions
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TVG
$300 Risk Free Bet
The $300 Risk Free Bet is only open to new TVG account holders in TVG Participating States, age and 4NJBets account holders who are residents of New Jersey. Void where prohibited by law. To qualify for the Promotion, sign up for a new TVG…
- Watch TVG in HD
- Wager Rewards
- Tutorial Videos
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Virginia allows several kinds of betting under state oversight: the Virginia Lottery, charitable bingo, daily fantasy sports, pari-mutuel horse racing and licensed Virginia sports betting. Commercial casinos are covered on our Virginia casinos page.
How to bet on horses in Virginia
Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is regulated by the Virginia Racing Commission. Online, you bet through an advance-deposit wagering account: you register with a licensed operator, verify your identity and age, fund the account and place wagers on tracks across the United States and abroad.
The usual bet types are available: Win, Place and Show, and exotic bets such as exactas, trifectas and superfectas, which pay more for a small stake and are harder to hit. The big stakes races, including the Triple Crown, are covered by every major racebook.
The step-by-step process is the same at most sites:
- Visit the racebook and choose to register.
- Fill in the required fields, including your name, address and date of birth.
- Choose a username and a password.
- Confirm that you are at least 18.
- Accept the terms and conditions.
- Create the account and make your first deposit.
Horse betting apps in Virginia
TVG has a mobile app for Android and iOS that Virginia players can use. There are no mobile-only offers, but mobile customers can claim the standard welcome bonus. Once an account is created and funded, you can bet on races from your phone.
TwinSpires is another popular choice. It is part of Churchill Downs, the track that hosts the Kentucky Derby every year, so it is a natural home for the Derby and the rest of the Triple Crown.
In-person horse betting in Virginia
Colonial Downs, in New Kent County, is Virginia’s main racetrack. It opened in 1997 and closed its racing operation in 2014, then returned to live racing and now hosts a summer thoroughbred meet that includes the Virginia Derby. Racing fans can bet at the track and at its off-track betting locations, and the same racing is available through the advance-deposit wagering sites above.
Bet only what you can afford to lose. If betting stops being fun, the help line at the bottom of this page is free and open all day.