Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has proposed amendments to legislation aimed at legalizing and taxing skill games, which would add strict new restrictions that industry supporters believe would effectively ban the gambling machines found in small businesses. The proposed changes include a higher tax rate on machine receipts, placement restrictions banning them near churches, daycares, and houses of worship. Despite the opposition from skill games supporters, Youngkin’s spokesman Christian Martinez stated that the amendments address concerns related to regulatory structure, tax rates, and public safety implications.
Late Monday, Governor Youngkin took action on numerous bills, vetoing measures such as setting up a prescription drug affordability board and allowing localities to hold a referendum on raising sales taxes for school construction. He also signed measures expanding the state’s revenge porn law and establishing 18 as the minimum age for marriage. Of the 1,046 bills sent to him by the General Assembly, Youngkin signed 777, amended 116, and vetoed 153, vetoing more bills in one year than his seven predecessors did in their entire terms.
Lawmakers in Virginia will reconvene next week to consider Youngkin’s amendments and potentially override his vetoes if necessary. The debate over skill games legalization has drawn bipartisan interest, with a coalition advocating for the machines’ legality focusing on small business owners who host them. The governor’s proposed tax rate of 35% would make skill games the highest-taxed goods in Virginia, leading to concerns about the industry’s viability by opponents like Rich Kelly, the coalition’s president.
The debate around skill games stems from policymakers trying to regulate machines that resemble slot machines but involve an element of skill. The machines were initially banned in 2020 as casinos were being introduced, but operators received a reprieve due to COVID-19 relief efforts. Bill sponsor Aaron Rouse has vowed to block Youngkin’s amendments and emphasize the interests of small businesses over casinos. A coalition opposing skill game legalization praised the governor’s more cautious approach in reviewing the measure.
In addition to the skill games legislation, Youngkin approved mental health reform bills in response to the death of Irvo Otieno, a Black man who died while in custody at a state mental hospital. The governor also sought amendments to bills related to organizations tied to the Confederacy, requiring lawmakers to approve them again before they could take effect. With potential further legislative action on the horizon, the fate of the skill games legislation and other measures remains uncertain as Virginia’s political landscape continues to evolve.
