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Subcommittee hearing on legalizing, regulating skill/electronic gaming ends without a vote
Summary
A subcommittee heard extensive testimony on Senate Bill 1323 — a plan to legalize and regulate electronic “skill” gaming — but the measure did not secure a second and was not reported out of committee.
Senate Bill 1323 — a broad measure to legalize and regulate electronic “skill” gaming devices statewide — drew heavy testimony but did not advance after the subcommittee failed to secure a second motion to report the bill.
Sponsor remarks described a comprehensive regulatory regime: registration and background checks for distributors and operators, a $1,200 monthly tax per device, a 30,000‑machine cap, and a framework for enforcement and voluntary exclusion for problem gamblers. Supporters, led by the Virginia Amusement Coalition, convenience-store coalitions and small-business owners, said legalization and strict rules would bring order to a market of unregulated machines, create an administrable tax stream for the Commonwealth and protect small businesses that have relied on machines to generate supplemental revenue.
Opponents — including veterans’ organizations, fraternal groups, racing interests, police associations and casino operators — urged the committee to reject the measure. Veterans groups and charitable gaming operators said the bill would undercut nonprofits that now fund community services through regulated charitable gaming. Law‑enforcement groups warned current “skill‑game” devices blur legal lines and create enforcement confusion; casino operators said a large new network of machines could undercut casinos and racing revenues.
Criminology testimony recommended tightening technical device definitions around elements of chance and skill and warned operators could create machine features that defeat skill claims. The Governor’s office and the Virginia Equine Alliance urged a cautious, coordinated approach that stood up a state gaming regulator before expanded gaming.
At the conclusion of debate the chair called a motion to report; committee members moved and discussed, but — according to the clerk — the motion lacked a second and no formal roll-call occurred, so the measure did not move out of subcommittee during this hearing.
Nut Graf: SB 1323 would have created a statewide regulatory scheme for certain electronic gaming devices with strict registration, a per‑device tax and consumer protections. Small-business supporters and convenience‑store associations pressed for legalization under a uniform regulatory framework; veterans, charities, law enforcement and casino/racing interests objected to the expansion or urged delay until a permanent gaming regulator is established.
