Virginia is one of the top 10 states for sports betting handle, with more than $11B wagered legally since the state launched online sports betting in January 2021. Though Unibet Sportsbook first accepted wagers in Virginia three months after the first six went live (trailing FanDuel, DraftKings, WynnBET, BetRivers, BetMGM, and Caesars), it still managed to carve out a niche among VA gamblers. However, it closed on April 11, 2024.
In this piece, we’ll lay out what the registration process was at Unibet Sportsbook Virginia, highlight what features and traits you could expect during your Unibet experience, and give an overall rating to the closed sportsbook based on several key characteristics.
Unibet Sportsbook had a limited list of Virginia betting promos available to its players, but because the bookie changed its promotions throughout the year, you were sure to see some variety with a little bit of patience. Here are some of the common promos you could find on the platform.
Joining Unibet Sportsbook in VA didn't take you very long; most users breezed through the registration process in about five minutes. Here’s how you could have gotten started:
It's important to note there was a 3x playthrough requirement for the bonus bet, meaning if you ended up getting the promo, you needed to wager 3x your original stake to be able to collect your winnings. You also had seven days to complete the playthrough before the bonus bets expired.
Is Unibet Sportsbook legal in Virginia?
No, Unibet Sportsbook is not legal in Virginia. Unibet was fully licensed by the Virginia Lottery, which is charged with licensing all online sports betting throughout the state. However, Unibet closed its operations in Virginia on April 11, 2024, and plans to leave the US market completely within the year.
Unibet’s VA banking options fell roughly in line with what other bookmakers in the state offer. Here are some of the more popular choices that were available to you.
Different types of wagers on Unibet Sportsbook
Unibet Sportsbooks let its gamblers play many different types of wagers, ranging from picking a straight-up winner to placing a meticulously calculated parlay. Here are some of the most popular kinds of bets you could make with Unibet.
Unibet’s betting app in VA
Unibet’s Virginia betting app was unique to players in VA, so if you were traveling out of state, you needed to download the correct app for that state or play in a web browser instead. This is because the app used geolocation to ensure you were within state lines when attempting to make your wager and it blocked your bets if it couldn't find you in Virginia.
The app saw somewhat mixed reviews in app stores, with Apple users giving Unibet a 2.7/5 rating; Android reviewers were more kind, and the app held a 3.9/5 rating in the Google Play Store.
iOS reviewers noted that the app was “quite buggy,” and would regularly kick them back to the login screen. However, Android users didn’t echo these concerns and instead lauded the easy-to-learn nature of the app, as well as the favorable betting lines.
How you downloaded the Unibet app on iOS
If you had a steady internet connection, you were able to download the Unibet app on your iOS device. Here’s how you could get it.
Once you downloaded the Unibet app, you opened it up and logged in with your Unibet credentials. Then, you made a deposit and you were ready to place your bets!
How you downloaded the Unibet app on Android
Downloading the Unibet app on your Android device was be one of the best ways to wager with the betting operator. Here’s how you could have added it.
Was betting on Virginia college sports with Unibet legal?
No, betting on Virginia college sports with Unibet was not legal. Under state law, VA bettors are not allowed to place a wager on an in-state collegiate athlete or team.
Though Virginia is not the only state to prohibit wagering on in-state college sports, it does come as a bit of a surprise given the state is not home to a team in any of the “Big Four” sports leagues, which can eliminate a local angle for many bettors. However, gamblers were welcome to place a bet on college sporting events that did not feature Virginia-based teams.
Customer support at Unibet Sportsbook Virginia
On the whole, we found the customer support at Unibet Sportsbook Virginia to be satisfactory but not spectacular. When testing for this review, we found the chat feature to be moderately helpful, though response times were rather slow even after we got connected with a real person.
One big drawback was that phone support wasn't available 24/7. While you may have been able to answer your own questions by browsing the FAQ pages, larger issues that may take a bit more time to resolve could have required setting aside a decent chunk of time.
Our expert opinion on Unibet Sportsbook Virginia
In our expert opinion, Unibet Sportsbook Virginia was a fine alternative to the other operators in the state, especially those looking to take advantage of favorable lines when odds shopping. Unibet’s odds were competitive and at times were slightly “juiced” towards the player, meaning savvy gamblers could win more money using the same stake by playing the more favorable line.
The customer service experience was quite pleasant, and we would go so far as to say it was the best feature of the sportsbook. Though we would have liked to see expanded hours, we believed the FAQ pages answered many of your questions without needing to reach out for direct assistance.
To improve, we think more frequent and varied promotions would have gone a long way to gain favorability among Unibet users in Virginia. Further app improvements wouldn’t have gone amiss either, especially for those on iOS devices.