SENATE BILL NO. 579

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice

on ________________)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Senator Reeves)

A BILL to direct the Virginia Lottery Board to convene a work group to study interactive online sweepstakes games; report.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Virginia Lottery Board shall convene a work group of relevant stakeholders, including representatives from the online sweepstakes and social games industry, to study the legal, economic, technological, and public policy implications of interactive online sweepstakes games and to report its findings and any recommendations resulting from such study. In conducting such study, the work group shall (i) review the ways in which sweepstakes have been used as a marketing and promotional tool for online and retail businesses, including online social games and licensed casino operators; (ii) determine and identify any differences between online sweepstakes games and real-money gambling or internet gaming; (iii) develop a definition for "online sweepstakes games"; and (iv) conduct any other relevant research as necessary. The work group shall report its findings and recommendations by December 1, 2026 to the Chairs of the Senate Committees on General Laws and Technology and for Courts of Justice and the House Committees on General Laws and for Courts of Justice.