Virginia: Governor Vetoes Another Gaming Expansion Bill: Demands Independent Regulatory Authority First
In Virginia, Governor Abigail Spanberger this week vetoed another gaming expansion bill. A day after vetoing a bill to qualify Fairfax County for a commercial casino, she vetoed a measure to restore the regulatory framework for skill games, making clear she will not sign legislation authorizing additional gambling unless lawmakers first approve and fund an independent gaming regulatory commission.
Spanberger said the rapid expansion of gaming in Virginia over the last decade has outpaced the Commonwealth's ability to provide consistent enforcement, robust public safety oversight and meaningful assessment of gaming's impacts and harms, and that the absence of a centralized authority creates oversight gaps. She also cited data showing that during the temporary legalization of skill games, the devices were disproportionately located in communities with higher poverty rates, lower education levels and larger Black and Hispanic populations.
The slot-like skill games were temporarily legalized during the pandemic to support small businesses, became illegal in 2021, and remained in legal dispute until the state Supreme Court ruled in October 2023. Since 2020, lawmakers have approved casinos in five locations plus retail and mobile sports betting, with regulation currently assigned to the Virginia Lottery Board.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：弗吉尼亚州 Richmond 的 James River 与市区。Morgan Riley 摄，CC BY 3.0 授权，经 Wikimedia Commons 发布。 / Image: the James River and downtown Richmond, Virginia. Photo by Morgan Riley, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
