Virginia · 2026 Regular Session · Bill
HB 161: Virginia Lottery; internet gaming authorized, definitions, penalties, effective clause.
Passed both chambers Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
HB 161 is a bill introduced in the Virginia House on January 6, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Virginia Lottery; internet gaming authorized, definitions, penalties, effective clause. Primary sponsor: Marcus Simon (Democratic). Most recent recorded action (March 14, 2026): Failed to Pass from conference.
Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written
Official summary
Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.
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.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Simon | Primary sponsor | Democratic | House | 13 |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- Failed to Pass from conference
- No further action taken
- Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB161)
- Senate Conferees: Locke, McPike, Pillion
- Conferees appointed by Senate
- House Conferees: Simon, Krizek, Austin
- Conferees appointed by House
- House acceded to request
- Senate requested conference committee
- Senate insisted on substitute (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
- Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 94-N 0-A)
- Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/4/2026 1:16 pm)
Showing 12 most recent of 40 actions. Full history