FanDuel's Sportsbook Makes Virginia Open For Sports Betting

ASHBURN, VA — FanDuel, one of the top names in sports betting, officially opened for business in Virginia on Thursday a day after announcing that it would be the first outfit of its kind to make wagering on games legal in the state.

FanDuel’s social media channels included an announcement on Twitter Wednesday night saying that its sportsbooks would be going live on Thursday. The announcement said the opening was "quicker than we expected” but indicated that bets would start to be accepted on Thursday.

Shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday, the first bet was accepted by FanDuel, as a wager was placed over the phone putting money on the Golden State Warriors to beat the New York Knicks, according to published reports. The ushering in of sports betting opened up the state to what experts are saying is a $400 million market.

Virginia became the ninth state where sports betting is available on FanDuel's mobile app. According to a FanDuel spokesperson, the FanDuel Sportsbook app features a special risk-free first bet up to $1,000 for Virginia customers. Any customer who doesn’t win their first bet is automatically refunded their wager, up to $1,000 in site credit.

FanDuel is listed as an approved sports-gambling vendor by the Virginia Lottery in conjunction with the Washington Football Team, which is based in Ashburn. The Lottery has Fan Duel’s partnership with the Washington Football Team listed as a temporary vendor which was approved on Wednesday, according to the Virginia Lottery site.

An email sent to FanDuel and to the Virginia Lottery seeking comment on Thursday was not immediately returned to Patch. Lottery officials told various media outlets Thursday that it expected more Sportsbooks to join FanDuel in Virginia before the Super Bowl, which will be played on Feb. 7.

Thursday's FanDuel launch comes before the AFC and NFC championship games are played this weekend will games pitting the Kansas City Chiefs against the Buffalo Bills and the Green Bay Packers facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

FanDuel officials told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the timing is huge.

"It's humongous," FanDuel Chief Marketing Officer Mike Raffensperger told the paper. "There really is no other day throughout the year where we can get more people to try our sportsbook than the Super Bowl."

Virginia became be the 20th state, including the District of Columbia, to offer legal sports betting after the General Assembly approved a measure allowing legalized sports gambling in the state. Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Football Team, has lobbied for sports betting to be made legal in Virginia, where the team has headquartered, the Post reported last year. Snyder has also suggested that he would build a new stadium for the team in whatever state is the first to open up for business to sports gambling.

The Post, along with other media outlets, reported that FanDuel received more consideration for approval because of its connection to the Washington Football Team. A provision in the law states that pro sports teams that pay more than $200 million in salaries in Virginia are given more substantial consideration.