Virginia Lottery Receives More Than Two Dozen Applications for Sports Betting Permits

The Virginia Lottery has received 25 applications for mobile sports betting permits.

The names of the companies that applied are not revealed by the Lottery. Big-name companies like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Penn National Gaming, affiliated with Barstool Sports, and major casino operators have already shown interest in Virginia’s sports betting industry and may be among the applicants.

“The names of specific applicants will not be publicly released or acknowledged,” the Lottery said in a news release announcing it had received 25 sports betting applications last month. In response to follow-up questions, a Lottery spokesman said successful applicants will be identified when the licenses are awarded.

According to the Lottery, the winners “will be selected on a number of factors, including their past experience and success with sports betting in the United States, their efforts to solicit minority investors and the number of new jobs and tax revenues they expect to generate in the commonwealth.”

“The high level of interest by national and international sports betting operators validates Virginia’s efforts to strike an appropriate and responsible balance in its regulatory program for legalized sports betting. We are confident that the deliberative review process we are undergoing now will result in a successful program that protects consumers, athletes and taxpayers,” Kevin Hall, Executive Director of the Lottery, said.