Virginia Is Not for Bettors, State Lawmaker Contends With Gaming Statute

Last year, legal online sports betting commenced in Virginia. Some mobile sportsbooks have been quick to steal the commonwealth s famed tagline Virginia is for Lovers for their marketing materials. But state lawmakers say the iconic motto should not be used in such nefarious ways.

State Sen. Tommy Norment (R-James City), first elected to the Virginia General Assembly in 1992, is one of Virginia s longest-serving lawmakers. The 75-year-old voted in that authorized sports betting in the commonwealth.

However, Norment s support of legal sports gambling ends with sportsbooks using a slightly altered version of the Virginia is for Lovers tagline. Licensed sportsbooks in the state, including DraftKings and Barstool Sportsbook, have advertised that Virginia is for Bettors.

Norment says after recently hearing such an advertisement while driving in his car, he decided to introduce legislation that prohibits sportsbooks from including the line, Virginia is for Bettors.

The legislation quickly gained favor in the assembly s upper chamber. Norment s Senate Bill 96 passed the Senate unanimously, 40-0, earlier this week.

While perhaps not as iconic as What Happens Here, Stays Here that has long marketed Las Vegas, Virginia s tourism and travel slogan in 2012 was deemed by Advertising Age as one of the most iconic ad campaigns in the past 50 years.

Frankly, it annoyed me, Norment said of hearing Virginia is for Bettors on the radio. We ve spent a lifetime trying to market Virginia is for Lovers. I just felt it was trespassing.

Norment s bill, if passed by the House and signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), would prohibit sportsbooks or any from using Virginia is for Bettors in commercial marketing. Violators would be subject to a $50,000 fine.

Norment revealed that an earlier version of the bill that would have outlawed sportsbooks and casinos from even using Virginia in advertisements met a stern response from the gaming industry. His re-worked legislation to only limit the modified state motto was better embraced.

No sportsbook or gaming firm presented opposition to SB96 during the bill s hearings in the General Laws and Technology Committee.

Virginia is for Lovers was developed by two marketing wizzes back in 1968. Advertising executives David Martin and George Woltz, who would later form The Martin Agency, a creative advertising firm that is still in operation today, are credited with coming up with the historic adage.

The original concept specified what sort of lovers Virginia was for, depending on the state tourism attraction being advertised. Virginia is for Beach Lovers, Virginia is for Mountain Lovers, and Virginia is for History Lovers were a few of the lines used.

State tourism officials later dropped the qualifier, and Virginia is for Lovers was fully embraced.

Martin and Woltz have long denied that they came up with their lovers motto after Virginia legalized interracial marriage through a 1967 court ruling.