A bill has been introduced in the Virginia legislature that would extend for a year the deadline when slot machine-like “skill games” would become illegal. The bill was introduced by Rep. Paul E. Krizek.
Governor Ralph Northam says he opposes allowing the games to operate past July 1, 2021.
Lawmakers came close to banning the games in 2020, but are now mulling an extension for 12 months. The games are popular at restaurants, truck stops and convenience stores that have thousands of terminals.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said last week that allowing the games for another year will help municipalities that are struggling to cope with Covid-related revenue losses.
He was in a church parking lot where Queen of Virginia Skill & Entertainment gave away 500 meals. He said, “We want to avail ourselves to other streams of revenue.”
Queen of Virginia manages more than 5,000 of the terminals, slightly more than half of those in the state. The company’s general manager, Jeanna Bouzek, points out that the skill game industry has generated $68 million in Covid relief and that the industry has earned nearly $140 million for the state. Each machine generates $1,200 a month in tax.
