Gambling
Localities, state rake in casino revenues, but they can’t be sole economic strategy
Joyce Jackson was eager to get inside the sprawling Rivers Casino Portsmouth on a recent weekday. Nor was she reticent to express her opinion about the full-scale gaming center that opened early last year. It’s one of five casinos that’s already operating or being planned across the commonwealth. “I love it!” said Jackson, 76, who […]
Congress debates problem gambling as sports bettors trend younger
By Stacy Watkins/Capital News Service RICHMOND, Va. — Football season has kicked off and stretches from September to February. The sport is forecasted to bring in $35 billion in legal bets this season, according to the American Gaming Association. In Virginia it is one of the top types of sports wagers made, according to Virginia […]
New skill game machines don’t violate the state’s ban, two former Virginia attorneys general say
A new version of slots-like machines that one of the biggest skill game companies in Virginia has begun introducing in the commonwealth does not violate the state’s ban on the electronic betting machines, according to a joint legal opinion by two former state attorneys general and two regulatory attorneys with substantial gaming experience. Dubbed Queen […]
Norfolk moves forward with long-delayed casino project
Norfolk’s City Council on Tuesday voted to move forward with a new developer for a long-delayed riverfront casino project dramatically smaller than the proposal floated when voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum in 2020. Jon Yarbrough, the Tennessee billionaire who promised a resort with a soaring 10-story glass hotel tower, casino, marina, and restaurants five years […]
Virginia one step closer to creating single gaming agency
Legal gaming has surged to new heights in Virginia, transforming into a multibillion-dollar annual market as the state’s expanding casinos, sports betting, and online gaming sectors fuel economic growth and reshape the entertainment landscape. But the industry is currently overseen by multiple state agencies, and splitting those duties has created oversight and enforcement gaps in […]
Skill games remain illegal in Virginia, but some businesses are evading the ban
Virginia lawmakers banned skill games years ago after rejecting the argument that slot machine lookalikes don’t count as gambling because they involve more skill than luck. An industry push to convince the General Assembly to repeal that ban failed earlier this year. Despite that failure, a new type of machine is showing up in Virginia […]
Virginia could clear up fuzzy line between sports betting and fantasy contests
Virginians now have multiple ways to try to make money wagering on sports. Whether the state treats it as gambling or not depends on which app you use. State lawmakers are expressing growing concern about the fuzzy line between sports betting and fantasy sports contests that have gotten closer and closer to mimicking full-blown gambling. […]
Virginia Senate returns to Richmond but fails to pass any bills
Democratic leaders in the Virginia Senate thought they could go their own way on the scheduling and policy agenda for a rare June special session. But things didn’t go according to plan Tuesday as the Senate spent a whole day in Richmond without taking up a single bill. Supporters of bills to legalize skill games […]
Petersburg won’t release $1.4B casino proposal from company that won project
Petersburg officials say they won’t release the winning proposal for a planned casino project they’ve called the largest economic development effort in the city’s history. Last month, The Virginia Mercury requested a copy of the successful casino offer submitted to the city by Maryland-based Cordish Companies. On Tuesday, the city’s Freedom of Information Act officer […]
Virginia’s skill game debate could stretch into the summer
After finishing work on almost everything else taken up during the 2024 session, the Virginia General Assembly and Gov. Glenn Youngkin have decided to keep talking about skill games. The governor and several lawmakers said Monday that they’ll continue seeking a way to get the slot machine lookalikes taxed and regulated in response to a […]
As special session approaches, are skill games dead or alive?
At a meeting of Virginia’s advisory council on gambling addiction late last month, Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, made a bold prediction. The battle over whether the state should legalize the slots-like gambling machines known as skill games reached a standstill in April due to policy disagreements between the General Assembly and Gov. Glenn Youngkin. There […]
Petersburg mayor says city ‘told the truth’ about casino pressure from legislature
Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham said Wednesday that he stands by the allegation that his city faced political pressure from the General Assembly to choose a particular casino developer or risk losing the opportunity to have a casino altogether. Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, whom the Petersburg City Council has alleged had a hand in that pressure, […]