Youngkin wants to keep talking on skill games (2024)

His big concern is to make sure skill games are not set up too close to schools or churches, and he thinks the bill aligns with the state’s casino gaming law, which bars additional historical horse racing gambling devices within 35 miles of a casino host city.

On Wednesday, legislators rejected Youngkin’s package of amendments to the skill games measure that the legislature passed. The governor’s amendments included strict geographic limitations that would bar the machines within 35 miles of other gaming sites, such as casinos, Rosie’s gaming emporiums or horse tracks. The governor also wanted to prevent the machines from being within 2,500 feet of a school, house of worship or day care center.

Proponents of skill games said Youngkin’s restrictions would bar the machines in most of the state.

“I have serious concerns with the bill, and I had it before the package of amendments that I put together ... to address those concerns,” Youngkin said Thursday after an unrelated bill-signing ceremony at the Patrick Henry Building.

A Youngkin veto at this point would kill the bill.

“But I also want to be clear that I am open to discussing particularly the issues with ... the perimeter policies, and I think we can address that,” Youngkin told reporters after ceremonially signing a bill setting rules for compensating student-athletes for use of their name, image or likeness.

“I think first of all the perimeter, that 2,500-foot perimeter around schools and churches particularly, was something that a bipartisan group of legislators discussed,” Youngkin said. “I think the unintended consequences of that are real and we can address that.”

He added: “And then the 35-mile perimeter is something that has been in previous gambling legislation, particularly casino bills. And we had a lot of discussions around that. And as I said, I can work with legislators to address both of those,” he added.

Youngkin sees budget as vehicle

Youngkin said the way to address his concerns would be in the still-to-be-written state budget. The governor and General Assembly leaders agreed to work on a spending plan and return in a May special session. He and Democratic leaders previously reached an impasse over his amendments to kill a sales tax expansion to cover digital services and business-to-business deals.

Legislative budget leaders kept Youngkin’s proposed sales tax extension without his proposed income tax cuts. Youngkin has said he will not sign off on the resulting tax increase.

The governor said meetings with legislative leaders over the past few days that led to the agreement to try to reach a budget compromise show that there is a clear path forward to reach a deal.

State budgets, which have been running some 700 pages long, often include language directing state policy and agency actions.

The General Assembly’s budget and Youngkin’s proposed amendments to it include revenue from skill games. On Wednesday, the legislature put Youngkin’s proposed budget amendments on ice to start with a clean sheet that Youngkin and lawmakers can live with.

The Department of Planning and Budget has said the General Assembly’s 25% tax on the machines would generate something like $126 million a year. Youngkin’s amendments, which would have pushed back the start date for legalizing skill games, cut this by $47 million next year.

Skill game promoters and convenience store owners have said Youngkin’s proposed location limits would shut too many places out of an important source of revenue while protecting out-of-state casino interests.

Many convenience stores are within that 2,500 feet — a bit less than half a mile — from schools or churches. The 35-mile perimeter would cut out large swaths of the state, including much of metro Richmond now that Petersburg has been designated as a casino host as well as much of Southwest Virginia, Southside Virginia and Hampton Roads.