2026 SESSION

SENATE SUBSTITUTE

26108010D

SENATE BILL NO. 819

AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE

(Proposed by the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations

on February 12, 2026)

(Patron Prior to Substitute—Senator Suetterlein)

A BILL to direct the Virginia Lottery to study the feasibility of furthering responsible gaming as it relates to the lottery, casino gaming, and sports betting, and to develop an implementation plan to require all lottery terminals to possess proper age verification software to ensure that a consumer is 18 years of age or older.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That the Virginia Lottery shall study the feasibility of furthering responsible gaming as it relates to the lottery, casino gaming, and sports betting through the promulgation of regulations restricting (i) advertising for such gaming through mail or Short Message Service (SMS) text messages; (ii) targeted digital advertising for such gaming using personal data, including through the use of geolocation, consumer profiles, or consumer purchase history; and (iii) the use of individual player data for the marketing and advertising of such gaming. The Virginia Lottery shall additionally study the impact of including on all advertisements (a) a warning stating that the lottery is only for persons 18 years of age or older and that playing the lottery can be addictive and (b) the toll-free telephone number for the Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline. No later than October 1, 2026, the Director of the Virginia Lottery shall report the findings of such study to the Chairs of the House Committee on General Laws and the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology with policy recommendations regarding furthering responsible gaming through advertisement regulation.

§ 2. That the Virginia Lottery Board and Director shall develop an implementation plan to require all lottery terminals to possess proper age verification software to ensure that a consumer is 18 years of age or older. For purposes of this act, "terminal" means a device that is authorized by the Department to function in an interactive mode with the Department's computer gaming system or systems for the purpose of issuing tickets, plays, or an electronic facsimile thereof, and entering, receiving, and processing game-related transactions. Such plan may consider implementing age verification in lottery terminals based on the normal replacement schedule of terminals. The implementation plan shall: (i) develop a phased schedule to implement age verification software in terminals, (ii) establish a completion date for implementation, (iii) include cost estimates for such plan, (iv) provide alternative implementation schedules for consideration, and (v) recommend any necessary changes to statute or the appropriation act to implement the plan. No later than October 1, 2026, the Director of the Virginia Lottery shall report the implementation plan to the Governor and Chairs of the House Committees on General Laws and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on General Laws and Technology and Finance and Appropriations. The Virginia Lottery Board shall include the costs of such implementation plan in the revenue estimates developed and submitted to the Governor in accordance with Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia and proceed only after a forecast is adopted by a general appropriation act that includes the costs of such implementation plan.