Virginia online casino games aren’t a legal option yet, but customer spending suggests Virginians are clearly comfortable with online risks and rewards. The Virginia Lottery just confirmed that state online lottery wins passed the lifetime $2 billion mark.
Many online lottery games like the Blackjack scratch game and Keno bear a striking resemblance to online casino offerings in other states.
The Virginia Lottery offers different price points for online scratchers as well. That compares favorably with online video slots found in iGaming states.
Michigan is an example of a state with both online lottery and online casino games. And, officials there say the two options complement each other all while growing state revenue.
How Virginia reached $2 billion in online lottery wins
It took just over two years to hand out the $2 billion in wins, according to a Sept. 29 update from the Virginia Lottery.
Virginia is among the states where customers can buy their Mega Millions and Powerball plays online. Plus, Virginia residents and guests can set up an account for more options. Their profile gives them access to play more than 60 instant-win games. Wheel of Fortune and Monopoly Progressive Jackpots are two examples.
Of the $2 billion in online lottery wins:
- More than 300,000 unique players have won online.
- “Betty W.” of McLean claimed the biggest single win in Virginia online lottery history. She won $2 million after buying her Powerball ticket online. It’s the game’s top secondary prize.
- Virginia Lottery officials tell us most of the payouts come from instant-win games. A South Boston man collected the biggest prize in that game category, with more than $295,000 from the Jungle Tumple Jackpots game.
- Althogether, 31 players landed wins of $100,000 or more by playing instant-win games online.
Retail sales vs. online game plays
The Virginia Lottery partners with more than 5,300 businesses to reach customers who buy game tickets in person. From July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, those businesses received $138.6 million. Businesses get a share of the revenue through commissions and bonuses.
Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kelly Gee said online sales add another layer to retail sales. All lottery games finance K-12 public education in Virginia.
“The convenience of playing online has really caught on with Virginia Lottery players as an additional way to play. Our focus at Lottery is all about ensuring the best customer experience possible.”
Customers must be 18 or older to play Virginia Lottery games. Customers must register when they switch to online lottery games as well. The lottery site has:
- Identity and age verification checks
- Geolocation verification requirements for your smartphone, laptop or tablet and
- built-in responsible gaming features.
The lottery’s online site has instructions on how to play each game as well.
