Is Skill Gaming Reauthorized for VA in 2023?
https://vagamingcompliance.com/
https://www.vaabc.com/
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration is tentatively backing a top Republican lawmaker’s proposal to reauthorize so-called skill machines in Virginia and use some of the money they generate to crack down on illegal gambling, according to multiple Capitol Square sources.
That stance could potentially mean another reprieve for the slots-like games the state has spent years trying to ban from convenience stores, sports bars and truck stops, only to face sustained lobbying and legal pushback from the industry and its promoters. The state is currently locked in a prolonged court battle with the industry, and officials are unable to enforce the ban on skill machines as that lawsuit proceeds. But a reversal of the state’s official position on skill games could make the lawsuit moot.
House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, said he’s been told he has “possible” administration support for his proposal to let thousands of the machines continue operating and restore an old system of regulation in place before the General Assembly voted to outlaw the games in 2021. That would be a shift from the position of Youngkin’s predecessor, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who allowed the machines to be briefly regulated and taxed to raise money for COVID-19 relief but ultimately followed through on banning them.
Asked if the governor is supporting the bill, Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter didn’t give a direct response.
“The governor has asked stakeholders to come to the table and work on legislation that would crack down on illegal gaming,” Porter said.
Kilgore’s proposal would essentially restore the legal status of a type of video game the General Assembly has tried repeatedly to classify as illegal gambling. But the Youngkin administration appears to view Kilgore’s bill, which has not been heard in the House of Delegates, as the only viable mechanism for raising new funds to go after illegal gambling.
SOURCE: Virginia Mercury. See full article https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/...