Multiple bills related to sweepstakes casinos in Virginia and Florida have failed to pass as the 2026 legislative sessions in these two states come to a close.
Virginia
HB 161 and SB 118 were both shots at legalizing iGaming (online casinos) in the Old Dominion, and they would have outlawed sweepstakes casinos as a byproduct.
We last reported on them in February when it became clear that they had effectively been consolidated into a single bill and given a reenactment clause. This meant they wouldn’t have come into effect until January 1, 2028 at the earliest anyway.
In the end, neither passed the legislature this year, which is not entirely surprising considering the significance of statewide iGaming legalization. These bills were also making progress on narrow margins and reconsideration votes at times, showing that support was not unanimous.
We also watched SB 579, which was purely focused on banning sweepstakes casinos outright, but lawmakers eventually ended up replacing this bill with a study directing the Virginia Lottery Board to examine the issue before the next session.
Legislators often convert bills into studies when:
- the issue is new or technically complicated
- stakeholders disagree strongly
- the committee does not have consensus yet
- lawmakers want regulators to provide data first
All this means sweepstakes casinos in Virginia remain unaffected for now, following the end of the legislative session on March 14 with no bills ultimately passing. However both types of proposals are likely to return to the agenda next year.
Florida
On Friday, we touched on how there were three relevant bills in the Sunshine State this year, but that SB 1580 was the last real hope for sweepstakes-restricting legislation there.
HB 591 would have expanded and strengthened Florida’s gambling enforcement framework, including updates to reporting, penalties, and regulatory authority for the Florida Gaming Control Commission.
That’s while HB 189 and SB 1580 focused more narrowly on defining and penalizing “internet gambling” and “internet sports wagering” outside the Seminole tribal compact, with enhanced criminal penalties for unauthorized online wagering and related activities.
However, HB 591 and HB 189 had effectively stalled, leaving only SB 1580 with a chance of passing, and with the end of FL’s legislative session on the 13th, even SB 1580 was confirmed as failed.
Florida’s House had amended SB 1580 and sent it back to the Senate just before the session deadline, but that amended version was ultimately not accepted in time.
Conclusion
For sweepstakes operators and players, this confirms that current operations in Virginia and Florida remain viable for at least another year.
That being said, other states – including Maine, Maryland, and Tennessee – still have proposals under consideration that could restrict sweepstakes, so attention will now shift to these jurisdictions.
Author: Joseph Allen
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