GAMBLING
Virginia sees big tax bump from sports betting and casinos
Virginia is collecting more tax revenue from sports betting and casinos than fiscal analysts predicted four years ago when the state was considering legalizing more types of gambling. Taxes from sports betting more than doubled in fiscal year 2023, according to Virginia Lottery figures presented Tuesday, jumping to $67 million from $27 million the prior […]
Virginia suit over skill games set for trial two and a half years after it was filed
The long-running lawsuit over Virginia’s ban on slots-like gaming machines will be decided in a three-day trial the week before Christmas, according to a new court schedule laid out Friday. Lawyers for the two sides held a conference call Friday with the retired judge overseeing the case, but officials at the Greensville County Circuit Court […]
With court case stalled, skill-game industry keeps cash flowing to Virginia politicians
Almost two years after Virginia lawmakers voted to ban so-called skill games, two of the colorful, slots-like machines were installed at a Richmond convenience store a block from the state Capitol, unmissable to legislators and political aides popping over for coffee or energy drinks. Similar machines in at least two other Richmond-area convenience stores recently […]
Bribery conviction upheld for Va. man who offered town $500 to back gaming machines
The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld a bribery conviction Tuesday for a Southside Virginia convenience store operator who offered the town of La Crosse a $500 monthly donation in exchange for officials’ support for gaming machines at his business. Businessman Mamdoh Abouemara was appealing his 2021 guilty conviction in Mecklenburg County, arguing prosecutors hadn’t sufficiently […]
Youngkin signs bipartisan bill creating new committee on gambling addiction
Much of the discussion surrounding Virginia’s push toward state-sanctioned gambling has focused on how much money it might bring in for the state and local governments eager for new tax revenue. But state policymakers are taking a new step this year to try to create a more coordinated approach to gambling addiction, a less publicized […]
Virginia lawmakers consider restoring part of tax deduction for sports betting apps
When Virginia stopped letting sports betting companies deduct free-bet promotions from their taxable revenue last year, the state saw a significant bump in tax dollars. The industry wasn’t happy with the change, arguing policymakers were inhibiting the long-term potential of legal betting platforms by making it harder to attract new bettors and keep existing ones. […]
After controversial start of charity poker, Virginia might change the rules yet again
During a recent hearing on charity poker in Virginia’s General Assembly, one state senator said she was under the impression a bill to rewrite the state’s poker rules wasn’t all that concerning because the games wouldn’t involve too much money. Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Loudoun, asked if her understanding — that charity poker players would pay […]
Youngkin said to back push to reauthorize so-called skill machines in Virginia
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 […]
As legislature mulls aid for problem gamblers, consider sweetening the pot
I’m not a betting man. I have little faith that the fates will bless me. I could put $10 on the sun setting in the west and somehow lose. But if I were, I’d wager that one of the easiest bills to pass in the 2023 General Assembly will be bipartisan legislation to create and […]
Virginia lawmakers want to create new state committee on gambling addiction
It’s gotten a lot easier to gamble in Virginia as the state and local governments chase extra tax dollars from the lottery, casinos, sports betting, horse racing and slots parlors. But that change has come at a cost for Virginians who struggle with impulse control or have a full-blown gambling addiction, according to a bipartisan […]
Lawsuit challenging Virginia’s skill game ban will continue into 2023
EMPORIA — A judge on Monday declined to dismiss a lawsuit claiming Virginia’s ban on slots-like skill machines violates free speech and indicated a state senator’s involvement in the case means it won’t go to trial until after the 2023 General Assembly session is over. At a hearing Monday morning in Greensville County Circuit Court, […]
Amid a surge of slots, bingo’s last gasps in Virginia
Two hours into a Sunday afternoon session at Pop’s Bingo World, the hall is less than a quarter full and the charity running the game is on track to lose more than $1,500 after all the jackpots are paid out. Everyone in the room knows bingo — once Virginia’s only legalized form of gambling and […]