Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) of Virginia has stated unequivocally that she will not sign legislation allowing further gambling in the state until lawmakers have approved and provided financing for the establishment of an independent gaming regulatory commission.

Spanberger, whose approval ratings in her first few months in office are lower than those of her eight predecessors, vetoed a bill that would have allowed Fairfax County to host a commercial casino the day before she destroyed a plan to reinstate the regulations governing skill games.

According to Spanberger, Virginia need a specific gaming regulation body to oversee the state's recent adoption of gambling.

"The absence of a centralized regulatory authority for gaming creates gaps in oversight that threaten the Commonwealth of Virginia’s ability to provide consistent enforcement, prevent illicit activity, and protect all consumers. Right now, legalizing skill gaming and introducing more of these machines into our communities would strain an already fragmented system,” Spanberger said.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, Virginia briefly allowed the slot-like machines to boost revenue for small companies. Despite being outlawed in 2021, the games continued until October 2023 due to legal challenges. 

 

Put Skill Games on Hold

Skill game proponents claim that the devices kept many small companies successful throughout the pandemic. The advocates claimed that because company owners used the gaming funds to combat soaring inflation, the additional revenue also kept workers employed throughout the pandemic's aftermath.

Skill-based competitions that let the player change the game's payout rate make skill games similar to slot machines. In state court, the skill game lobby claimed that the games weren't gambling games.

After temporarily legalizing the games, the Virginia Supreme Court decided in October 2023 that the General Assembly had the right to outlaw them.

Since then, lawmakers have worked to make skill games lawful again. In 2024, the General Assembly rejected a skill game measure after Governor Glenn Youngkin made significant changes.

This year, the legislature supported Senate Bill 661/House Bill 1272, believing that a Democratic governor would be open to permitting skill games. Spanberger didn't publicly oppose skill games, but he did protest to the absence of a suitable state agency to handle the regulations.

Virginia legislature have approved retail and mobile sports betting, as well as casinos in five locations since 2020. The Virginia Lottery Board has been given these regulatory authority.

“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 assessments of the potential impacts or harms of gaming in all its forms,” the Governor explained.

 

Poverty-Targeted Skill Games

Additionally, Spanberger noted allegations that during Virginia's brief permit of skill games, operators targeted neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty, lower levels of education, and a higher concentration of ethnic minorities.

“The data clearly show that devices were disproportionately located,” Spanberger said. “I remain committed to working with the General Assembly to ensure that any future approach to gaming expansion prioritizes consumer protection, public safety, public health, and the economic and social well-being of all our communities.”