RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Some Virginia residents are urging lawmakers to say game over when it comes to legalizing popular skill games often found at convenience stores and gas stations.
Richmond resident Lorin Johnson and about two dozen others at a press conference in Richmond on Tuesday are part of the Virginians Against Neighborhood Slot Machines. They say that, if lawmakers greenlight skill games, it will lead to an increase in crime and more.
“These machines expose children to gambling and they prey on vulnerable communities,” Johnson told reporters at the press conference on Tuesday. “They have also been shown to increase violence and crime, making communities less safe.”
The debate comes as both the Virginia House and Senate have approved different bills to legalize and tax skill games.
The House version would set a 30% tax rate on the machines, while the Senate version proposes a 22% tax. The House version would also set stricter limits on the number of machines allowed at certain businesses, and require localities to hold a referendum or adopt an ordinance saying they allow skill games in that municipality.
Skill game supporters say that, without them, small businesses could be forced to shut their doors.
“What will happen is the small independent restaurants will go out of business and the convenience stores will go out of business,” Rich Kelly, President of the Virginia Merchants and Amusement Coalition told 8News. “This has been important supplemental money.”
Plus, Kelly, who owns several restaurants in Virginia, says because places with skill games already sell alcohol, they know how to handle minors.
“We don’t allow the kids to play the games and if the kids are playing the games, they can’t win anything in playing the games because they need to have an ID proving their age,” Kelly said. “We supervise it and make sure it doesn’t happen.”
Meanwhile, if a bill legalizing skill games does pass out of the General Assembly, it will need the support of Governor Glenn Youngkin to become law. A spokesperson for Youngkin sent 8News the following statement:
“The administration has serious concerns with both the House and Senate versions of the bill. There are numerous issues to work through including the regulatory structure, tax rates, the number of machines, impact on the Virginia Lottery and broader public safety implications.”
