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HB161Introduced in the House of Delegates

Virginia Lottery; internet gaming authorized, definitions, penalties, effective clause.

Engrossed

Introduced by Marcus Simon, District 13

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

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Official description

Virginia Lottery; casinos; internet gaming authorized; penalties. Authorizes internet gaming in the Commonwealth to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill requires a casino gaming operator that intends to conduct internet gaming to submit a separate notice of intent to the Director of the Virginia Lottery for each internet gaming platform that it intends to offer accompanied by a $2 million platform fee that is to be deposited into the Internet Gaming Platform Fee Holding Fund for the purpose of funding start-up costs and other costs associated with the implementation and creation of a gaming commission. The bill permits the Board to issue an internet gaming operator license to a casino gaming operator that submits an application on forms approved by the Board, meets certain qualifications, and pays an initial licensing fee of $500,000. The tax rate is set at 20 percent of an internet gaming operator's adjusted gross internet gaming revenue with five percent allocated to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, six percent allocated to the Internet Lottery Hold Harmless Fund until January 1, 2037 and the remaining 89 percent before January 1, 2037, and 95 percent after January 1, 2037, allocated to the general fund.

Where it stands

Failed to Pass from conference

March 14, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

7 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

5 recorded votes · each counted separately

SenateStage: Senate insisted on substitute (39-Y 0-N 0-A) · March 4, 2026

39

Yes

0

No

1

Absent or Not Voting

40 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

What do people think?

Citizen Voice

How would you vote on this bill?

An unofficial public opinion poll. It does not affect the bill or the official vote.

One response per device. Location is self-reported and not verified. Results are informal and not a scientific survey.

See how each senator voted

SenatorDistrictVote
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker5Yes
Michael Jones77Yes
Timmy French1Yes
Mark Obenshain2Yes
Chris Head3Yes
David Suetterlein4Yes
Travis Hackworth5Yes
Todd Pillion6Yes
William Stanley7Yes
Mark Peake8Yes

Bill history

  1. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101135D

  2. Referred to Committee on General Laws

  3. Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/7/2026 3:21 pm)

  4. Assigned HGL sub: ABC/Gaming

  5. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB161)

  6. House subcommittee offered

  7. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (5-Y 4-N)

  8. Reported from General Laws with substitute and referred to Appropriations (13-Y 8-N)

  9. Committee substitute printed 26107031D-H1

  10. Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/6/2026 10:58 am)

  11. Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

  12. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (5-Y 2-N)

  13. House subcommittee offered

  14. Reported from Appropriations with substitute (14-Y 8-N)

  15. Committee substitute printed 26108000D-H2

  16. Read first time

  17. Read second time

  18. committee substitute rejected

  19. committee substitute agreed to

  20. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  21. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB161)

  22. Read third time and defeated by House (46-Y 49-N 0-A)

  23. Reconsideration of defeated action agreed to by House

  24. Passed by temporarily

  25. Passed House (67-Y 30-N 0-A)

  26. Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/18/2026 10:16 am)

  27. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  28. Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

  29. Reported from General Laws and Technology and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)

  30. Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (11-Y 3-N 1-A)

  31. Rules suspended

  32. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  33. Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)

  34. Committee substitute printed 26109035D-S1

  35. Read third time

  36. Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to

  37. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  38. Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 17-N 0-A)

  39. Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/4/2026 1:16 pm)

  40. Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 94-N 0-A)

  41. Senate insisted on substitute (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  42. Senate requested conference committee

  43. House acceded to request

  44. Conferees appointed by House

  45. House Conferees: Simon, Krizek, Austin

  46. Conferees appointed by Senate

  47. Senate Conferees: Locke, McPike, Pillion

  48. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB161)

  49. No further action taken

  50. Failed to Pass from conference

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