Last week, the Virginia Senate shot down Governor Glenn Youngkin’s amendments to a bill to legalize slot-like skill machines. The rejection put the future of the bill, Senate Bill 212, in jeopardy.

Youngkin now has the opportunity to veto the bill, which sits on his desk. He told WRIC, however, he’s open to an ongoing dialogue about skill game legalization. It’s possible that Youngkin and the General Assembly come to an agreement to include skill game legalization language in the state’s budget.

There’s a special session scheduled for May 13 when Virginia legislators will discuss the budget.

“Remember we do have a budget coming up, and so there [are] things we can possibly do to address all of that,” Youngkin told WRIC.

Skill game bill debates

The original bill taxed skill games at 25%, while Youngkin proposed a 35% tax on the games. Agreeing on a tax rate will be an important discussion in the coming weeks.

There were also debates on when small businesses in the state could begin legally operating skill games in their establishments. Youngkin’s bill led to a likely start date in 2025, while some small business owners are pushing for 2024 due to the immediate revenue influx the machines can create.

Youngkin also added language to the bill that would’ve placed geographic restrictions on where the skill games could be played. The restrictions were designed to protect the business of the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos.

There are currently three operational retail casinos in Virginia, which allows for legal in-person casino gaming as well as both online and in-person sports betting. Online casinos aren’t legal in Virginia.

Youngkin and the General Assembly have a few weeks to work out their differences behind the scenes to legalize skill games in Virginia. Based on Youngkin’s comments to local media, he’s open to compromise.

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