Kentucky Raises Betting Age; Virginia Splits on Casinos, OKs DFS

Kentucky lawmakers overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto of HB 904 the day after he rejected the bill, passing the measure just before the legislature adjourned for 2026. The new law raises the minimum legal betting age from 18 to 21, creates a regulatory framework for daily fantasy sports and bars licensed gaming operators from partnering with prediction market platforms.

In Virginia, Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed bills that would have legalized skill games and allowed a Fairfax County casino referendum, citing a lack of local support in Fairfax and the absence of a centralized state gaming regulator. Spanberger signed separate legislation that establishes state rules and oversight for daily fantasy sports.

Louisiana’s House approved HB 883, which targets dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, and HB 53, a measure that would use racketeering statutes to pursue illegal gambling operations, moved through a Senate committee and into Legislative Bureau review. The state legislature passed a sweepstakes ban in 2025 that Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed.

Tennessee advanced HB 1885, a bill that would ban online sweepstakes games using virtual currency; the measure cleared committee stages and is scheduled for a House floor vote with amendments proposed to align it with the Senate version. Tennessee’s HB 2079, which would make participation in prediction markets a felony, cleared committee and was placed on the House calendar.

Oklahoma’s SB 1589, which amends the state gambling code to explicitly include online casino-style offerings and dual-currency systems, cleared the Senate earlier in the session and picked up momentum in the House this week.

Minnesota moved two bills through multiple Senate committees: SF 4474, which targets online sweepstakes games using dual currency, and SF 4511, which addresses prediction markets. Both measures advanced closer to potential Senate floor votes.

In Maryland, HB 295 and HB 1226, both aimed at restricting sweepstakes-style operations, passed the House but failed to clear the Senate before the session ended on April 13. Iowa’s SF 2470, which had passed the Senate 45-1, was tabled by a House committee and stalled with limited time remaining in the 2026 session.

Lawmakers in the states cited public concern about unregulated platforms, consumer protection issues and gaps in enforcement authority as reasons for the bills. Proposed measures across these legislatures include new licensing and oversight for daily fantasy sports, bans on dual-currency sweepstakes, expanded criminal penalties for prediction market participation and the use of racketeering tools to target illegal operators.