Gambling Self-Exclusion in Virginia (VEP)

How does Virginia's self-exclusion program work?

Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP) is run by Virginia Lottery. You enroll once and every operator it covers must refuse you for the term you chose.

Run by

Virginia Lottery

What it covers

One enrollment excludes you from Virginia casinos, online and retail sports betting, account-based (online) lottery games, charitable gaming overseen by the Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs, and pari-mutuel wagering under the Virginia Racing Commission.

Durations

2 years · 5 years · lifetime

Help line

804-692-7185

How do I sign up for self-exclusion in Virginia?

Virginia's self-exclusion form is on the official Virginia Lottery page linked below — there is no fee and no third party needs to be involved.

1. 1 For 2-year or 5-year exclusion, complete the online Voluntary Exclusion form (DocuSign) linked from the Virginia Lottery VEP page
2. 2 For lifetime exclusion, apply in person at Virginia Lottery headquarters or at a casino by calling the VEP office at 804-692-7185 for an appointment

Official page: www.valottery.com/playingmatters/voluntaryexclusionprogram — enroll there directly, never through a third-party site.

How do I get off the Virginia self-exclusion list?

Removal is automatic when your exclusion period expires. You cannot be removed before then.

Can it be ended early?

No. The term you pick is the term you serve.

At the end of the term

You come off the list automatically. Nothing to file.

Lifetime is one of the three options and it never expires. Gambling while excluded means forfeiting winnings to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, plus possible trespassing charges at casinos.

Worth saying plainly: wanting off the list is not the same as being ready to gamble again, and the urge to check usually arrives long before the term does. What actually happens when people come off a self-exclusion list goes through that in full.

Can I use NVSEP in Virginia?

Partly. NVSEP — the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program — is a free service that fills in and files state self-exclusion forms for you, and it does file in Virginia. What it reaches here is fantasy sports and nothing else: not casinos, not sportsbooks, not the lottery. What NVSEP covers, state by state has the full roster.

What should I watch out for with Virginia self-exclusion?

You cannot be removed before your exclusion period ends; removal at expiration is automatic. Gambling while excluded means forfeiting winnings to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund and possible trespassing charges at casinos. Retail draw-game lottery tickets are not account-based and are outside the program.

Is self-exclusion enough on its own in Virginia?

Virginia's program only binds operators licensed in the state — offshore sites and crypto casinos ignore it. The setup that holds is layered: self-exclusion, plus a ban inside each betting app you hold, plus a device-level gambling blocker plus a bank-level gambling block. For the full walkthrough, start with our self-exclusion guide or the complete guide to quitting gambling.

Gambling across the Virginia line?

A state program only binds operators licensed in that state. If you drive to a casino or bet on an app registered next door, you need that state's ban too.

• Kentucky's self-exclusion program
• Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP) (Maryland)
• North Carolina self-exclusion: sign-up and durations
• How to self-exclude in Tennessee
• How to self-exclude in Washington, D.C.
• West Virginia's self-exclusion program

Or compare every US state's program side by side.

Frequently asked questions