Va. Code § 54.1-834: Prohibited activities; penalties

A. No betting or wagering shall be permitted at an event or exhibition bout before, during, or after the event in the building where the event is held.B. No person shall participate in a sham or fake boxing or martial arts contest. The Department shall have the authority to order, without a hearing, the person controlling the purse to hold the distribution to contestants, promoters, and trainers pending a public hearing by the Department. The Department shall, simultaneously with the issuance of such order to retain the share or purse, institute proceedings for a hearing to determine whether a sham or fake boxing or martial arts contest has occurred.C. It shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person to violate this section or any statute or regulation governing the persons or activities regulated pursuant to this chapter.D. The third or any subsequent conviction for violating any provision of this section during a 36-month period shall constitute a Class 6 felony.1998, c. 895; 2015, cc. 216, 264; 2016, c. 756; 2025, cc. 95, 111.