Virginia · Sports betting
Is sports betting legal in Virginia?
Where sportsbooks stand in Virginia, where Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction markets stand, and why the answers differ. Built from our sourced state records.
The short answer
Yes. Online sports betting is legal in Virginia. Online and retail sports betting live since January 2021; minimum age 21.1
Prediction markets are a separate question: we found no court order or regulator action stopping Kalshi from offering sports contracts in Virginia, as of Oct. 22, 2026.
Sportsbooks in Virginia
Sports betting in Virginia is legal online. Online and retail sports betting live since January 2021; minimum age 21.1 Gaming oversight: Virginia Lottery.
Prediction markets in Virginia
Our status for Virginia: No public action found. We found no public enforcement, litigation or enacted law. Pending bills may still be listed on the state's page. Virginia has not acted against prediction markets; a 2026 gaming-commission bill that would have studied them failed.
Latest action (Other development, June 12, 2026): Virginia joined a 37-state coalition (36 states plus California) that filed an amicus brief in the Sixth Circuit supporting Ohio's enforcement position against Kalshi (date is the coalition announcement).2
We track 1 lawsuit involving Virginia. Federal appeals from Virginia go to the Fourth Circuit, which heard argument on May 7, 2026 and has not yet ruled. Full record: prediction market laws in Virginia.
Which prediction market apps work in Virginia
| Platform | In Virginia | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kalshi | No restriction found | |
| Polymarket US | No restriction found | |
| Coinbase | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
| Crypto.com | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Crypto.com | Derivatives North America (North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc.), an affiliated CFTC-registered exchange and clearinghouse; Crypto.com's 2026-09-08 release places this entity under the OG.com spin-off. |
| DraftKings Predictions | Sports blocked | |
| Fanatics Markets | Not offered | Contracts trade on Crypto.com | Derivatives North America (Nadex rules). |
| FanDuel Predicts | Sports blocked | Contracts trade on CME Group (financial contracts) and Crypto.com | Derivatives North America / OG (sports, entertainment and combination contracts). |
| Gemini Predictions | No restriction found | |
| PrizePicks | Offered | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
| Robinhood | No restriction found | Contracts trade on KalshiEX, ForecastEx and Rothera Exchange and Clearing (a Robinhood joint venture with SIG); since 2026-09-08 also OG.com's North American Derivatives Exchange, Inc.. |
| Underdog | Offered | Contracts trade on Underdog's own exchange UDX (Aristotle Exchange DCM/DCO, Inc. d/b/a Underdog Exchange), plus Kalshi and Nadex (Crypto.com | Derivatives North America). |
| Webull | No restriction found | Contracts trade on Kalshi. |
“No restriction found” means we know of no court order, regulator action or platform notice stopping it in Virginia; it is not a finding that it is legal there.
Why the answers differ
A sportsbook takes the other side of each bet and keeps what bettors lose.3 It needs a license from the state. A prediction market is an exchange that matches users with each other and takes a fee,3 and the large ones are regulated by the CFTC, whose jurisdiction over trading on those exchanges federal law calls exclusive.4 That is the platforms’ case for offering sports contracts nationwide; by the 2025 Super Bowl, Kalshi offered them in all 50 states, including states without legal sports betting.5
States answer that sports event contracts are sports bets by another name; Massachusetts, for one, says Kalshi’s closely resemble wagers at licensed sportsbooks.6 Federal appeals courts have split, 1 for the platforms and 2 for the states, and 3 petitions now ask the Supreme Court to decide: see the circuit split.
Age limits
Kalshi and Polymarket US accept customers from 18,78 while most states set the gambling age at 20 or 21, a gap critics including the NCAA have raised.9 See how old you have to be. If gambling is causing you harm, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Questions
- Is sports betting legal in Virginia?
- Yes. Online sports betting is legal in Virginia. Online and retail sports betting live since January 2021; minimum age 21.
- Who regulates sports betting in Virginia?
- Virginia Lottery.
- Is Kalshi legal in Virginia?
- We found no court order or regulator action stopping Kalshi from serving Virginia, as of Oct. 22, 2026. Virginia's status on prediction markets: no public action found. Details are on our Kalshi in Virginia page.
- Is Polymarket legal in Virginia?
- We found no court order or regulator action stopping Polymarket from serving Virginia, as of Oct. 28, 2026. Virginia's status on prediction markets: no public action found. Details are on our Polymarket in Virginia page.
- What is the difference between a sportsbook and a prediction market?
- A sportsbook takes the other side of each bet and keeps what bettors lose, under a state license. A prediction market is a federally regulated exchange that matches users with each other and charges a fee, which is why platforms argue state gambling law does not reach them.
Sources
- Virginia sports betting status
- California Attorney General press release
- The New York Times (republished by West Hawaii Today, Oct. 6, 2025)
- 7 U.S.C. 2 (CEA section 2), Office of the Law Revision Counsel
- Axios (Jan. 31, 2025)
- Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (Sept. 12, 2025)
- Kalshi Help Center, Signing Up as an Individual
- Polymarket US terms of service
- Legal Sports Report (Mar. 19, 2026)