- Virginia will be launching online lottery games that will be available for all devices able to connect to wi-fi on July 1.
- Michigan lawmakers are discussing allowing online gaming without a license until social distancing guidelines are lifted.
RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia and Michigan are both on track to have legal online gambling available for residents this year.
Virginia became the seventh state in the country to legalize online lottery games and will launch their online lottery platform on July 1.
Residents will be able to play popular games such as Mega Millions, Powerball, and Cash4Life through their smartphones or internet-connected device.
“We’re excited to be introducing this new way of playing our games on July 1, the very first day it’s allowed under legislation we requested from the 2020 General Assembly, ” said Kevin Hall, Virginia Lottery Executive Director. “We feel it’s important to continue to meet Virginia consumers where they already are, and where they expect to find us: online.”
Michigan residents are less clear about the start of their access to online lottery. After sports betting launched in Michigan earlier this year, online gambling was expected to go live in 2021.
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the industry, it seems that there may be a quicker path to internet gaming.
The Senate Committee on Regulatory Reform will discuss a bill aiming to allow casinos to operate gambling online without a license until social distancing rules are no longer in place.
Many state leaders believe that, because of this, residents may receive online gaming before the start of the new year.
Michigan has acquired an almost $100 million budget deficit for the state from the closure of casinos.
Adding the opportunity of USA online gambling should bring in much-needed state tax revenue.