Virginia Code 58.1-4039: Events on which betting is prohibited; penalty.
A. 1. No person shall place or accept a bet on youth sports.
Attorney's Note
Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 misdemeanor | up to 12 months | up to $2,500 |
Terms Used In Virginia Code 58.1-4039
- Board: means the Virginia Lottery Board established by this chapter. See Virginia Code 58.1-4002
- College sports: means an athletic event (i) in which at least one participant is a team from a public or private institution of higher education, regardless of where such institution is located, and (ii) that does not include a team from a Virginia public or private institution of higher education. See Virginia Code 58.1-4030
- Department: means the independent agency responsible for the administration of the Virginia Lottery pursuant to this article and sports betting pursuant to Article 2 (§ Virginia Code 58.1-4002
- Director: means the Director of the Virginia Lottery. See Virginia Code 58.1-4002
- game: includes on-premises mobile casino gaming. See Virginia Code 58.1-4002
- Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
- Permit holder: means a person to which the Director issues a permit pursuant to §§ Virginia Code 58.1-4030
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
- Proposition bet: means a bet on an individual action, statistic, occurrence, or non-occurrence to be determined during an athletic event and includes any such action, statistic, occurrence, or non-occurrence that does not directly affect the final outcome of the athletic event to which it relates. See Virginia Code 58.1-4030
- Sports betting: includes any system or method of wagering approved by the Director, including single-game bets, teaser bets, parlays, over-under, moneyline, pools, exchange wagering, in-game wagering, in-play bets, proposition bets, and straight bets. See Virginia Code 58.1-4030
- Sports governing body: includes a designee of the sports governing body. See Virginia Code 58.1-4030
- United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255
- Virginia college sports: means an athletic event in which at least one participant is a team from a Virginia public or private institution of higher education. See Virginia Code 58.1-4030
- Youth sports: means an athletic event (i) involving a majority of participants under age 18 or (ii) in which at least one participant is a team from a public or private elementary, middle, or secondary school, regardless of where such school is located. See Virginia Code 58.1-4030
2. No person shall place or accept a proposition bet on college sports.
3. No person shall place or accept a bet on Virginia college sports.
B. 1. A sports governing body may notify the Department that it desires to restrict, limit, or prohibit sports betting on its sporting events by providing notice in accordance with requirements prescribed by the Director. A sports governing body also may request to restrict the types of bets that may be offered. Notwithstanding § 58.1-4030, for purposes of this section, “sports governing body” includes any organization that is not headquartered in the United States and that otherwise meets the definition of “sports governing body.”
2. For any request made pursuant to subdivision 1, the requester shall bear the burden of establishing to the satisfaction of the Director that the relevant betting or other activity poses a significant and unreasonable integrity risk. The Director shall seek input from affected permit holders before making a determination on such request.
3. If the Director denies a request made pursuant to subdivision 1, the Director shall give the requester notice and the right to be heard and offer proof in opposition to such determination in accordance with regulations established by the Board. If the Director grants a request, the Board shall promulgate by regulation such restrictions, limitations, or prohibitions as may be requested.
4. A permit holder shall not offer or take any bets in violation of regulations promulgated by the Board pursuant to this subsection.
C. The prohibitions in subdivisions A 1 and A 3 shall be limited to the single game or match in which a youth sports or Virginia college sports team is a participant. The prohibitions shall not be construed to prohibit betting on other games in a tournament or multigame event in which a youth sports or Virginia college sports team participates, so long as such other games do not have a participant that is a youth sports or Virginia college sports team.
D. Any person convicted of violating this section is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.