NORFOLK, Va. — A group opposed to legalizing skilled gaming machines is taking to the airwaves with a new TV ad airing across the Commonwealth.
The ad is backed by a group called Virginians Against Neighborhood Slot Machines. It began airing this week in Hampton Roads and tries to link the machines to crime in Virginia.
"Convenience store slots, the so-called gray machines, bring crime and violence to vulnerable Virginia communities," the ad says.
News
Proposed bill would reverse Virginia's ban on skilled games
The coalition behind the ad is made up of casinos in Virginia, including Rivers Casino in Portsmouth and the proposed Headwaters Resort & Casino in Norfolk.
The ad is airing as lawmakers in Richmond debate whether to legalize the machines.
Numerous small businesses have spoken to News 3 about the impact the machines have had on their bottom lines.
“We’ve seen an instant decline when we unplugged these machines and it’s wreaking havoc on our industry right now,” Boyd Melchor, the owner of Kelly's Taven, told News 3 in November.
The machines started popping up in Virginia prior to the pandemic, but lawmakers voted to ban them in 2020 and the law took effect in 2021.
Watch previous coverage: Proposed bill would reverse Virginia's ban on skilled games
Since then, there's been legal challenges to the law, creating a back-and-forth on whether the machines could operate, which they currently cannot.
Right now, State Sen. Aaron Rouse (D-Virginia Beach) is backing a bill to legalize and tax them.
"By supporting the most vulnerable businesses in our Commonwealth, we're supporting the little guy," said Rouse.
A representative for Virginians Against Neighborhood Slot Machines said the ad is a "strong media campaign in key markets throughout the Commonwealth."
The statement added they "believe Virginians have a right to know that this proposed legislation will bring crime and more than 91,000 slot machines to their communities."
The maker of the games, Pace-O-Matic, says the 91,000 figure is drastically inflated.
News
Virginia State Police crack down on skilled games with tip-line
"That's really what this fight is about - it's about these big out of state casinos and their thought that the gaming space is totally theirs and the small businesses in Virginia don't have a place here," said Michael Barley, Chief Public Affairs Officer for Pace-O-Matic.
The group against legalization also argues other forms of gambling, including casinos, faced local voter referendums to get started and operators faced a strict process to open their doors.
The bill has made it through one committee with more hurdles to climb.
Pace-O-Matic is optimistic the machines will be legalized.
"We have strong bipartisan support," said Barley. "It takes a special issue to get the range of bipartisan support we've seen on this issue."
