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RICHMOND, Va. — Today, Governor Spanberger vetoed SB 661 and HB 1272, legislation that would have legalized gas station slot machine “skill” games across Virginia.
According to a 2025 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.
In 2024, a memo from then-Attorney General Jason Miyares stated that new Pace-O-Matic Queen of Virginia machines popping up around Henrico were still illegal. “Skill” games have been operating outside the law in Virginia since 2021. Since 2021, developer Pace-O-Matic has spent over $4 million on Virginia political contributions to try to legalize the machines.
Following the governor’s veto Freedom Virginia Co-Executive Director Rhena Hicks released the following statement:
“With her first two vetoes, Governor Spanberger has made clear that she stands for regular people and affordability, not regressive corporate handouts. The operator behind so-called skill games has been skirting the law for years and trying to force predatory, unpopular machines into Virginia, all while harming our economy and putting vulnerable communities at risk. We hope the governor’s veto today can also put to bed the ludicrous idea that we should be funding affordability off shady slot machines. As budget deliberations continue, we hope conferees will look to fair, sustainable sources of revenue. Virginians work hard for their money and they deserve better than an untrustworthy corporation trying to make a buck off their backs. We look forward to working with policymakers and stakeholders to keep these machines out of the Commonwealth and enforce existing law.”
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