Self-exclusion in Virginia

How to put yourself on Virginia's self-exclusion list, what it covers, and what it does not.

Programme: Virginia Lottery Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP) — one programme covering casinos, sports betting, account-based lottery, charitable gaming and horse racing. The Code requires it: 'The Board shall adopt regulations to establish and implement a voluntary exclusion program.'valottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
Covers online betting: Yes. A participant agrees to refrain from 'participating in sports betting' and from 'playing any account-based lottery game', which is Virginia's online and app-based lottery play (11VAC5-60-10). Online sports betting is squarely inside the programme.law.lis.virginia.gov, checked 3 October 2026
Covers casinos and shops: Yes, and unusually broadly for a single form. The regulation has participants refrain from 'participating in casino gaming' and from 'participating in gaming activities administered by the Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs or the Virginia Racing Commission'. The Lottery spells that out as casino gaming, charitable gaming (raffle, bingo, network bingo and instant bingo) and betting on horse racing — live racing, off-track betting, historical horse racing and advance deposit wagering.valottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
Covers the lottery: Only the account-based kind. The programme bars 'playing any account-based lottery game' and the Lottery's own description lists 'account-based Virginia Lottery games'. Neither the regulation nor the Lottery's page says anything about buying a scratcher or a draw ticket over the counter, so do not treat this as a retail lottery block — if shop purchases are your problem, say so when you enrol and ask what it actually stops.law.lis.virginia.gov, checked 3 October 2026
How long you can choose: Two years, five years, or lifetime (11VAC5-60-20).valottery.com, checked 3 October 2026
Can it be undone: No. The Code is explicit: 'A person who participates in the voluntary exclusion program may not petition the Board for removal from the program for the duration of his exclusion period.' The Lottery says the same in plain terms — once submitted, an individual cannot be removed from the list until the end of the exclusion period — and the regulations set out no early-removal mechanism.law.lis.virginia.gov, checked 3 October 2026
What happens when it ends: It ends by itself, with no action from you. The regulation says that upon expiration of the requested period 'the department shall remove the individual's name from the self-exclusion list' (11VAC5-60-50), and the Lottery states it 'will automatically remove individuals from the self-exclusion list upon expiration of the exclusion period'. A lifetime exclusion does not expire.This is the field people get wrong. At the end of two or five years you come off the list automatically and every casino, sportsbook and track is open to you again on that date, whether or not you feel ready. The Lottery says those who want to continue should contact it beforehand, so if you intend to stay out, diarise the expiry date the day you enrol and re-file in advance — or choose lifetime, which never lapses.law.lis.virginia.gov, checked 3 October 2026
How you sign up: For two or five years, online: complete the Lottery's DocuSign voluntary exclusion form. For a lifetime exclusion you must attend in person — at Lottery headquarters or at one of the open casino locations — by calling the VEP office on 804-692-7185 to make an appointment. No notarised postal route is offered.valottery.com, checked 3 October 2026

Worth knowing before you start

Virginia is one of the broadest single forms in the country: one enrolment reaches casino gaming, online sports betting, account-based lottery, charitable gaming and every form of horse race betting including historical horse racing machines, without picking categories. Three practical points. The shortest term is two years, not one, so this is a bigger commitment than most states ask and there is no early exit — the Code bars you from even petitioning for removal during the period. A lifetime exclusion cannot be done online: you have to turn up in person at Lottery headquarters or a casino, which means planning an appointment on 804-692-7185 rather than acting on an impulse to stop. And if you gamble while excluded you lose the money: winnings are forfeited to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, self-excluded individuals are 'prohibited from collecting any winnings or recovering any losses', and you can face trespassing charges at a casino. Retail lottery tickets appear to sit outside the programme, so if that is your main route, pair this with a bank gambling block. The National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-GAMBLER.

Done? The rest of the hour: blockers, a bank block, closing the accounts, telling one person.

Every fact on this page was read from an official source and dated. The oldest of them was checked on 3 October 2026. Tell us if something here is wrong.