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Sports betting operators in Virginia are pushing for stricter, more efficient responsible gambling measures. The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), the main lobbying arm for bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel, held a responsible gaming roundtable with lawmakers, public health experts, and representatives of sports betting operators in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday, September 2.
The roundtable was co-moderated by SBA President Joe Maloney and Virginia State Senator Mike Jones. Experts included Keith Whyte, former Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and founder of Safer Gambling Strategies, and Dr. Carolyn E. Hawley, director of the Virginia Partnership for Gaming and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University.
“Responsible gaming is not a regulatory obligation to us; it’s the foundation of a sustainable, durable legal market. Getting this right takes more than one company working on its own,” said Maloney.
“We do a lot of work to drive awareness of not just what it means to play responsibly, but also the risks associated with problem gambling. You don’t want to shy away from that topic. It’s a very real topic,” said Cameron Zuckert, FanDuel’s senior manager of responsible gaming partnerships and programs.
“We want a long-term, sustainable business, and we can’t do that if customers are on our platform playing irresponsibly, not getting the help they need and then never play again,” said Anthony D’Angelo, head of responsible gaming at Fanatics.
First of four roundtables
Notably, the SBA is on a month-long tour of Virginia, and the roundtable held in Richmond was the first of four. The next roundtable will be held at Newport News, in the Hampton Roads region, scheduled for September 21, 2026. It will focus on three areas: the rise of brick-and-mortar casinos, the need for protections tailored to the region’s military and veteran population, and stronger restrictions on unregulated platforms.
Stricter responsible gambling measures
Problem gambling is becoming increasingly prevalent since the legalization of online gambling. A 2024 national survey by the NCPG found that 8% of all adults across the U.S. frequently showed at least one sign of problematic gambling, with at least 17% of traditional sports bettors affected.
Notably, young adults aged 18 to 34 are at a greater risk of experiencing problem gambling compared to older adults. To this end, Whyte recommended increasing gambling education awareness campaigns and minimizing minors’ exposure to ads and celebrity endorsements. There were also calls to restrict language that can distort young people’s perception of betting, including the use of terms such as “risk-free” and the inclusion of bonuses.
The attendees also recommended a proactive approach to curbing problem gambling among young adults. The public health experts called on sports betting operators to use the data they collect on players to identify signs of problem gambling, such as spikes in deposit frequency and betting times. Interestingly, the experts recommended New Jersey’s model, which requires sportsbooks to identify signs of problem gambling and explicitly contact players to intervene.
Additionally, the public health experts emphasized the need for effective treatment solutions, noting that finding qualified clinicians is a challenge. Notably, a portion of sports betting and casino tax revenue goes to the state’s Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund. Moreover, the state has a network of treatment, financial counseling, peer-recovery support, and general support facilities and organizations.
However, the experts noted that funding isn’t sufficient without enough qualified professionals to handle the issue. As such, they recommended expanding the state-backed training programs to train local clinicians.
Gearing up for gambling expansion
Virginia legalized sports betting in 2020 and launched online wagering in 2021. The state currently has 11 approved sports betting operators and has collected over $400 million in tax revenues over the years.
The state is now considering growing calls to legalize online casino gambling. Lawmakers have been debating two separate bills, SB 118, sponsored by Sen. Maine Locke, and HB 161, sponsored by De. Marcus Simon. However, differences in the bills’ language resulted in disagreements, with the 2026 legislative session closing without a compromise. Lawmakers are expected to take up the matter once again in 2027.
Notably, the expansion of online gambling is set to drive up cases of problem gambling. “You can’t expand gambling without risk, without additional casualties,” Whyte explained.
