Legal casino gambling age in Virgin Islands, U.S.
The United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States made up mainly of St Croix, St Thomas and St John, regulates gambling through two separate public bodies. The Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission (VICCC) licenses and supervises casino gaming, which is confined by law to a designated casino zone on St Croix. The Virgin Islands Lottery, one of the oldest lotteries under the US flag, runs lottery games and oversees video lottery terminals (VLTs) in the St Thomas–St John district. The territory has had an internet gaming statute on its books since 2001, but no online casino market has been brought into operation under it, and the Commission is pressing the Legislature to amend the law. Federal US gambling statutes apply in the territory alongside local law.
Key points
- Casino gaming is governed by the Virgin Islands Casino and Resort Control Act of 1995 (Title 32, Chapter 21 of the Virgin Islands Code) and is limited to licensed casino hotels in the St Croix casino zone; two casinos operate in 2026.
- The VICCC, an independent executive agency, licenses and regulates casinos; a separate Division of Gaming Enforcement in the Department of Justice carries out investigations.
- The Virgin Islands Internet Gaming and Internet Gambling Act was enacted in 2001 (Act No. 6419) but has never been fully implemented; amendments drafted after a July 2025 stakeholder summit were still before legislators in August 2026.
- Casinos pay a tax on gross revenue that rises to 12% after the first four years of operation; the dormant internet statute sets rates of 2.5% and 1.5% on two kinds of online revenue.
- Sports betting has not been authorised by statute, and a territorial law makes playing unauthorised games of chance a minor offence for players as well as organisers.
- The VICCC runs a voluntary self-exclusion programme covering all licensed casinos and a responsible gaming service, PlayWiseVI.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026.
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Historical development
Lottery gambling has the longest history in the territory. In testimony to the Legislature in March 2026, the executive director of the Virgin Islands Lottery described it as having existed for just under 90 years, operating independently of central government for almost all of that time, and as the second-oldest lottery in the United States after Puerto Rico’s (VI Lottery testimony on Bill No. 36-0233). Today it is a government instrumentality governed by Chapter 13 of Title 32 of the Virgin Islands Code (32 V.I.C. § 243).
Casino gaming arrived much later. The Virgin Islands Casino and Resort Control Act of 1995 was enacted on 3 November 1995 as Act No. 6069 (history note to 32 V.I.C. § 515), and the VICCC was created under it in November 1995 (Legislature Post Audit Division, VICCC FY 2027 analysis). The policy linked casino licences to hotel development: a casino licence depends on a minimum number of qualified hotel rooms and related facilities, and the hotel must keep those rooms available to retain the licence (VICCC statement of 24 August 2026).
On 2 August 2001 the Legislature added the Internet Gaming and Internet Gambling Act to the same chapter by Act No. 6419; it was amended in June 2002 by Act No. 6529 (32 V.I.C. § 605, history note). Implementation stalled. Local reporting attributes the delay largely to uncertainty over the federal Wire Act (The Virgin Islands Consortium, 1 August 2025).
Gaming at racetracks has been a recurring source of controversy. A racetrack casino, or “racino”, operated at the Randall “Doc” James Racetrack on St Croix under Commission authority until it was displaced by the hurricanes of September 2017 (VICCC statement of 24 August 2026); the Commission’s budget testimony dates the closure of that casino to 2016 (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony). Horse Racing Industry Assistance Acts were passed in 2011 and 2016. Legislation that followed a November 2016 racetrack agreement defined electronic slot machines, and a 2018 redevelopment plan for the two racetracks included about 200 such machines; the holder of the exclusive VLT franchise for St Thomas–St John sued the government in federal court in 2018 (St Croix Source, 14 April 2020; see below).
Legal framework
Territorial statutes
The main territorial laws are:
- The Casino and Resort Control Act of 1995 (32 V.I.C. § 401 et seq.). It creates the Commission and the Division of Gaming Enforcement, sets licensing standards, conditions of operation, hearings and sanctions, and fees and taxes (Title 32, Chapter 21).
- The Internet Gaming and Internet Gambling Act (32 V.I.C. § 601 et seq., Article XIV of Chapter 21). It provides for “Master Service Providers” and licensed operators, requires a licence for internet gaming businesses in or from the territory and sets a dedicated tax (32 V.I.C. § 605; 32 V.I.C. § 613).
- The Virgin Islands Lottery law (Title 32, Chapter 13), which establishes the Lottery under a Director who reports to the Virgin Islands Lottery Commission (32 V.I.C. § 243).
- The criminal gambling provisions in Title 14, Chapter 61 (“Lotteries, Gambling, and Betting”), including the general gambling offence in 14 V.I.C. § 1224.
- Other gaming statutes administered by the Commission, including the Horse Racing Industry Assistance Acts of 2011 and 2016 and the Casino IV Establishments Act, which concerns the enterprise zones of Christiansted and Frederiksted, and 25 V.I.C. § 501, which allows cruise ships at St Thomas and St John piers to open their casinos to passengers after 5 p.m. (VICCC testimony of 16 October 2024).
Federal law
As a US territory, the USVI is subject to federal gambling legislation. The Interstate Wire Act of 1961 (18 U.S.C. § 1084) prohibits the use of wire communications to transmit certain bets and betting information. In 2011 the US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the Act was limited to sports betting; in an opinion dated 2 November 2018 it reversed course and concluded that all but one of the Act’s prohibitions can reach non-sports gambling (DOJ Office of Legal Counsel, 2018 opinion). On 20 January 2021 the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, in a case brought by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, held that the Act applies only to sports wagering (Wiley Rein analysis). The USVI lies within the Third Circuit, not the First, so the ruling is not binding precedent there, although no contrary appellate decision was found.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) restricts payment processing for “unlawful Internet gambling”, meaning bets that are unlawful where they are placed or received. Its definition of “State” expressly includes any territory or possession of the United States, and it exempts bets made entirely within a single state or territory whose law authorises them and requires age and location verification and data security (31 U.S.C. § 5362). An intra-territorial online market would therefore have to rest on express local authorisation with those safeguards.
Regulator and licensing model
The USVI follows a licensing model for casinos, meaning private operators may offer gambling if they obtain a licence and meet regulatory conditions, combined with a geographical limit. The Commission regulates casino gaming in the St Croix “Casino Zone” (Post Audit analysis). It is an independent agency of the executive branch (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony) with three commissioners appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Legislature: two represent St Croix and one St Thomas–St John, and the Chairman serves as chief executive (Post Audit analysis). In 2026 the Commission had 17 authorised posts, of which three (the Chairman/CEO, the Executive Director and an IT support specialist) were vacant (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony).
Investigations are carried out by the Division of Gaming Enforcement, which the 1995 Act established within the territorial Department of Justice under a Director who is also sworn as an Assistant Attorney General. According to the Commission, the Division conducts the background investigations on all persons and entities seeking licences, including casino key employees and service employees, and investigates patron complaints referred to it; six of the eight complaints received in FY 2026 up to 31 May were sent to it (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony).
Licences are tied to hotel capacity under 32 V.I.C. § 435. According to the Commission, at least 275 hotel rooms are tied to the operating casinos, and the two casino hotels together employed 294 people in the quarter ended 30 June 2026 (VICCC statement of 24 August 2026). The Commission’s budget testimony names two casino hotels operating in the casino zone, both on St Croix. Four-year casino licences carry fees of between US$160,000 and US$240,000 (VICCC testimony of 16 October 2024).
Beyond operator licences, the Commission licenses casino employees and key employees, issues gaming-related and non-gaming-related vendor licences, work permits and statements of compliance. It reported 569 such licences and permits in fiscal year (FY) 2025 and 374 in FY 2026 up to 31 May 2026 (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony).
Racetrack casinos are a separate licence category. In April 2024 the Commission unanimously granted a one-year initial racino licence for the St Croix racetrack to a private racing developer, effective 19 April 2024; the licence fee was US$43,270 (VICCC testimony of 20 September 2024). The Commission reported in 2026 that the licensee chose not to proceed (VICCC statement of 24 August 2026).
VLTs fall outside the Commission’s jurisdiction. They operate in the St Thomas–St John district under a 2003 agreement between the government and a private VLT operator that granted it an exclusive franchise in that district (St Croix Source, 14 April 2020), and they are listed among the Lottery’s products (VI Lottery testimony on Bill No. 36-0233). In 2022 the Lottery’s director told senators that the machines generated between US$8 million and US$11 million a year for the Lottery, which then took 37.5% of their takings (St Croix Source, 23 March 2022).
Online gambling and enforcement
No online casino is currently operating under a USVI licence. The 2001 Act prohibits any person, without a licence under its terms, from running an internet gaming business in or from the territory, operating a server in the territory that enables internet gambling, or offering, advertising or soliciting internet gambling in the territory (32 V.I.C. § 605). Its structure centres on a Master Service Provider, an entity that provides the central technical platform and premises through which licensed operators offer games. Local reporting states that the draft amendments keep the two original Master Service Providers while allowing additional operators (The Virgin Islands Consortium, 1 August 2025).
On 31 July 2025 the Commission held a stakeholder summit on St Croix at which, according to local reporting, an international gaming-testing laboratory and a gaming research consultancy presented recommendations on licence categories, player protection, responsible gambling, transaction monitoring and anti-money-laundering controls (The Virgin Islands Consortium, 1 August 2025). The Commission finalised proposed amendments, prepared with the assistance of the same two firms, met legislators on 29 January 2026, and in August 2026 described the amendments as “critical” to implementing the law; its testimony did not report that they had been enacted (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony).
Sports betting has not been authorised. In August 2022 a security official of the Lottery confirmed to senators that sports betting was taking place illegally on St Thomas, and the chair of the Finance Committee stated that sports gaming “has not been passed by this body” and should be treated as illegal until it is (The Virgin Islands Consortium, 24 August 2022). No later enactment authorising sports betting was found.
The territory does not operate a published blocklist of offshore gambling websites, and no orders to internet service providers or payment institutions to block offshore operators were found. Federal law, including the UIGEA payment rules, remains the main tool against unlicensed offshore operators.
Position of players
Territorial criminal law is unusually broad on paper. Under 14 V.I.C. § 1224, it is an offence not only to deal or conduct a game of chance played for money or other value, but also to “play or bet at or against” such a game or to be wilfully present where one is played. The penalty is a fine of up to US$200, imprisonment of up to 180 days, or both. Gaming in licensed casinos and Lottery games rests on separate statutory authority. The section does not refer expressly to internet gambling, and no reported prosecution of a player for gambling online with an offshore operator was found during research for this guide.
In practice, lawful options for residents are the St Croix casinos, the Lottery’s products, including multi-state draw games, and VLTs in the St Thomas–St John district. Excluded persons may not gamble in any licensed casino, collect winnings or recover losses while their exclusion lasts (see below).
Taxation
Casino licensees pay an annual tax on gross revenue (as defined in section 402 of the Act) under 32 V.I.C. § 515: 8% in the first two years of operation, 10% in the third and fourth years and 12% thereafter. Casino gaming revenue is exempt from the territory’s gross receipts tax, although hotel revenue is not. The Commission reported that the 12% tax on gross casino revenue raised US$2.176 million in FY 2023 and US$2.216 million in FY 2024 (VICCC testimony of 16 October 2024).
The tax is paid into the Casino Revenue Fund under 32 V.I.C. § 517. According to the Commission, after an amendment of 10 November 2025, 23% goes to the Commission and the remainder to other government bodies, including the Departments of Health, Education, Agriculture and Sports, Parks and Recreation, the hospitals corporation and the police; 1% of the total is allocated to the Commission for gambling addiction treatment and prevention, and 10% of the fund supports the Division of Gaming Enforcement’s staffing (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony).
The dormant internet statute sets its own rates: a Master Service Provider would pay 2.5% of its gross service-provider revenue and each licensee 1.5% of its gross internet gaming revenue, in place of certain other territorial taxes and fees (32 V.I.C. § 613). Whether the pending amendments would change them could not be verified.
Lottery revenue is distributed under Chapter 13 to bodies including the Department of Human Services, the Department of Education’s Educational Initiative Fund, the Government Employees’ Retirement System and the St Thomas horse racing commission (VI Lottery testimony on Bill No. 36-0233). No official territorial guidance specific to the income tax treatment of players’ gambling winnings was located; players should consult the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Consumer protection and responsible gambling
The 1995 Act imposes probity checks on operators, key employees and suppliers, background investigations, regular reporting and on-site inspection. Patrons may lodge disputes and complaints with the Commission; eight patron complaints had been received in FY 2026 up to 31 May 2026 (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony).
- Voluntary self-exclusion. A person may exclude themselves from all casinos licensed in the USVI for one, two or three years by signing a request in person at the Commission’s office in Christiansted. While excluded, the person may not gamble, receive complimentary services, join players’ clubs, receive casino credit or collect winnings, and casinos must remove the person from marketing lists (PlayWiseVI, Voluntary Exclusion). The Commission granted six placement requests and two removal petitions in FY 2026 to 31 May.
- PlayWiseVI. The Commission’s PlayWiseVI service provides information, a self-assessment and links to support, including the 24-hour helpline 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) and online chat.
- Treatment capacity. Under a memorandum of understanding dated 24 October 2024, the Commission funded training for Department of Health behavioural health counsellors; two had achieved International Certified Gambling Counselor status in FY 2026 (VICCC FY 2027 budget testimony).
General guidance is available in our responsible gambling guide.
Recent and upcoming developments
- Internet gaming amendments (2025–2026). Draft amendments to the 2001 Act followed the July 2025 summit and were presented to legislators in January 2026. As of the Commission’s testimony of 6 August 2026, no enactment had been reported.
- Racetrack and VLT legislation (2026). Bill No. 36-0313 would approve lease and franchise agreements for the racetracks on St Croix and St Thomas and amend Titles 32 and 33. The Commission told the Legislature on 24 August 2026 that the package would allow VLTs on St Croix outside its jurisdiction and free of the 12% casino tax, which it argued could harm the casino hotels. On 26 August 2026 senators referred the bill to the Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance (Legislature of the Virgin Islands, 26 August 2026).
- VLT litigation background. In an April 2020 ruling in the franchise holder’s lawsuit, the District Court of the Virgin Islands found that electronic slot machines and VLTs were not meaningfully different (St Croix Source, 14 April 2020). The case was later settled. In April 2022 the Senate passed Bill No. 34-0224 by 8 votes to 7, extending the franchise holder’s VLT exclusivity on St Thomas to 2041; the Governor indicated he would sign it (The Virgin Islands Consortium, 8 April 2022).
- Cruise ship casinos on St Croix. On 16 October 2024 the Legislature approved Bill No. 35-0389, which would allow cruise ships docked at St Croix to operate their casinos, extending a rule that already applied in the St Thomas–St John district (Legislature of the Virgin Islands, 16 October 2024). Whether the Governor signed it could not be confirmed during research.
- Lottery autonomy. Bill No. 36-0233, heard in March 2026, would restore the Lottery’s independence from central procurement rules and the Governor’s veto over its decisions, following a 2022 Attorney General’s opinion (VI Lottery testimony on Bill No. 36-0233).
Casino listings for players in the US Virgin Islands
The listings below are generated automatically from our casino database. They do not show that an operator is licensed in the US Virgin Islands: no online casino currently holds a licence under the territory’s internet gaming law, and territorial law makes playing unauthorised games of chance an offence. The listings must not be read as an indication that playing is lawful. For the current position, see the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission.
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Related country guides
- British Virgin Islands gambling guide
- Puerto Rico gambling guide
- Anguilla gambling guide
- Saint Kitts and Nevis gambling guide
- Antigua and Barbuda gambling guide
Sources and further reading
- Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission, Acting Chairman/CEO, Testimony on the FY 2027 Budget before the Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance (6 August 2026).
- Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission, Statement to the Committee of the Whole, 36th Legislature, on Bill No. 36-0313 (24 August 2026).
- Legislature of the Virgin Islands, Post Audit Division, Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission FY 2027 Budget Analysis (2026).
- Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission, Testimony to the Committee of the Whole on BR24-1293 (cruise ship casinos, St Croix) (16 October 2024).
- Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission, Testimony to the Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports and Parks on the racino licence (20 September 2024).
- Virgin Islands Lottery, Executive Director, Testimony on Bill No. 36-0233 (10 March 2026).
- Legislature of the Virgin Islands, Lawmakers Vote on Nominations, Lease Agreements, Zoning Requests, and Bills During Legislative Session (26 August 2026).
- Virgin Islands Code (via Justia), Title 32, Chapter 21: Virgin Islands Casino and Resort Control Act of 1995 (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Virgin Islands Code (via Justia), 32 V.I.C. § 515, Tax on gross revenue (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Virgin Islands Code (via Justia), 32 V.I.C. § 605, License required (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Virgin Islands Code (via Justia), 32 V.I.C. § 613, Gaming and gambling tax; distribution of fees (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Virgin Islands Code (via Justia), 32 V.I.C. § 409, Division of Gaming Enforcement (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Virgin Islands Code (via Justia), 32 V.I.C. § 243, The Virgin Islands Lottery (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Virgin Islands Code (via Justia), 14 V.I.C. § 1224, Gambling (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission, Official website (accessed 13 October 2026).
- PlayWiseVI (Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission), PlayWiseVI responsible gaming service (accessed 13 October 2026).
- PlayWiseVI (Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission), Voluntary Exclusion (accessed 13 October 2026).
- US Department of Justice, Office of Legal Counsel, Reconsidering Whether the Wire Act Applies to Non-Sports Gambling (2018).
- Wiley Rein LLP, First Circuit Says Wire Act Is Limited to Sports Wagering (2021).
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, 31 U.S.C. § 5362, Definitions (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) (accessed 13 October 2026).
- Gilbert, E. (The Virgin Islands Consortium), Two Decades Later, V.I. Seeks to Activate Dormant Internet Gambling Law Amid Industry Boom (2025).
- George, E. (The Virgin Islands Consortium), V.I. Lottery Confirms Illegal Sports Gaming on St. Thomas (2022).
- Legislature of the Virgin Islands, Lawmakers Extend State of Emergency, Allow Operation of Cruise Ship Casinos While Docked in St. Croix, Approve Leases and Bills in Legislative Session (16 October 2024).
- Shimel, J. (St Croix Source), Video Lottery Terminals vs. Electronic Slots? No Contest, Federal Judge Says (2020).
- Gilbert, E. (The Virgin Islands Consortium), Report on Senate passage of Bill No. 34-0224 and VLT exclusivity on St Thomas (8 April 2022).
- Penn, A. (St Croix Source), Report on the Senate hearing on legislation to rebuild the St Thomas racetrack (23 March 2022).
