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Five-Figure TV Buy to Air on Richmond Broadcast and Cable TV
RICHMOND, Va. — This week, Freedom Virginia announced a new ad buy to urge legislators to reject “skill” games in budget negotiations and support a tax plan, in which billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share to fund the right priorities. The ad comes ahead of budget negotiations, in which the General Assembly will consider the legalization of skill games and follows the release of new polling that shows voters’ opposition against skill games ranges from 47% opposed to 67% opposed across battleground House districts.
“Fortune” is backed by a five-figure TV buy on broadcast and cable TV in the Richmond media market. The ad takes place in a convenience store and highlights how skill games are disproportionately placed in underserved communities. Instead of predatory skill games, the ad calls for a fair tax plan in which billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share to fund key priorities.
According to a recent study by Mangum Economics, the median income for communities where skill games were placed when they were legal between 2020-2021 was below the 2021 state median, and a disproportionate percentage of the population falls below the poverty level in these communities. During the 2024 election cycle, Pace-O-Matic Inc., Virginia’s leading proponent of skill games, contributed more than $6,000 to Donald Trump and also donated to other conservative political action committees. A fair tax plan would ask corporations and the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share to fund the right priorities by instituting a millionaires tax on earned income surpassing $1 million per year.
Budget conferees will meet over the next two weeks to reach an agreement on a conference budget to send to Governor Youngkin. Conferees will have the opportunity to remove skill games from the final budget and support other amendments that would ensure a fair tax plan in Virginia.
“Predatory skill games are not the way to fund the right priorities that hardworking Virginia families need, like health care and housing,” said Freedom Virginia co-Executive Director Rhena Hicks. “Skill games are not only predatory; they’re unpopular with voters across the commonwealth. The General Assembly must reject these so-called ‘skill’ games and instead support a fair tax plan to ensure the ultra-wealthy and corporations pay their fair share. We must take action to ensure Virginia families can get ahead and thrive in a fair and affordable economy.”
“Fortune” can be viewed HERE. A transcript is below:
This is a slot machine-like skill game.
It’s predatory and addictive, placed in underserved communities. So we’ll gamble away everything.
An out-of-state Trump donor says it will fund schools and housing, but really, he’ll make a fortune.
Let’s fund these things by taxing billionaires and big corporations who don’t pay their fair share.
Tell your legislator, reject the slot machine tax and support a fair tax plan.
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