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Initial lobbying in Virginia indicates that state legislators in Richmond are likely to revisit the idea of expanding commercial gambling once more.
Historically one of the most limiting states regarding gambling, with the state-operated lottery and parimutuel betting as notable exceptions, Virginia has recently invested significantly in gaming to stimulate local economies, generate employment, and provide new tax revenues to the government. Virginia currently hosts brick-and-mortar casinos, online sports wagering, and slot-like electronic historical horse racing (HHR) machines at racetracks and off-track betting venues.
As reported by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), which aims to reveal the financial influences in the state's politics, numerous gaming organizations are investing heavily in the upcoming 2025 legislative session set to start on January 8 and continue until February 22.
Expenditure on Gaming
Financial reports emphasized by VPAP reveal that Caesars Entertainment has incurred expenses of $418,155 on lobbyists in Virginia for the 2025 session. Caesars will inaugurate Caesars Virginia, a $750 million all-inclusive resort in Danville, on Tuesday, December 17.
Churchill Downs, which inaugurated The Rose Gaming Resort, an HHR venue in Dumfries last month, has invested $268,593.
No NOVA Casino, a political group opposing a measure that would permit Fairfax County residents to vote on a commercial casino, has collected $370,209. MGM Resorts has put in $222,267, which is likely to aid the No NOVA Casino campaign as the Las Vegas gaming powerhouse aims to safeguard MGM National Harbor on the opposite side of the Potomac from Northern Virginia.
The Sports Betting Alliance, besides advocating for the legalization of sports betting and iGaming, has dedicated $160,926 to introduce online slots and table games in Virginia. Pace-O-Matic, the creator of the contentious Queen of Virginia skill games, has invested $461,048 in its campaign to legalize the gray games that were prohibited in October 2023 following the Virginia Supreme Court's reversal of a previous court decision.
NOVA, Topics Likely Include Skill Games
Currently, the likelihood doesn’t seem particularly favorable that Virginia State Sen. David Marsden’s (D-Fairfax) effort to enable Fairfax and Tysons to have a casino will be successful.
The majority of the community, comprising homeowners’ associations and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, is against permitting Las Vegas to enter the rural DC region recognized for its wealthy neighborhoods and as a significant center for Fortune 500 companies. Many unions do back the initiative, and these unions hold influence in Richmond.
A gaming topic that will probably receive a more detailed examination is skill games. Numerous small enterprises throughout the commonwealth reported that the games generated essential income during and right after the pandemic.
In the 2024 session, the General Assembly enacted laws permitting any business licensed by the ABC to incorporate skill gaming machines. The proposal recommended a 25% tax on the gross income kept by the cabinets.
The proposal collapsed after Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) significantly revised the bill to add a 35% tax. More significantly, Youngkin stated he would only endorse the law if it comprised a 35-mile buffer zone around casinos and parimutuel wagering establishments, along with a 2,500-foot exclusion from all schools, childcare centers, and places of worship.
Legislators stated that the governor's designated exclusion areas would essentially ban the machines in all locations except for the state's most remote regions.
