Virginia's efforts to legalize online casinos this year came to an end this week, as lawmakers failed to reconcile differences between House Bill HB 161 and Senate Bill SB 118. The conference committee was unable to resolve the differences between the two bills, causing the proposed iGaming framework to stall, and any future progress will require new legislation. In plain terms, they argued until the end and couldn't agree, so the online casino initiative has fallen through again.
Core Disagreement: Tax Allocation and Physical Protection as Roadblocks
Both bills included several basic provisions, such as a 20% tax on adjusted gross gaming revenue, platform and licensing fees, and restrictions on operators collaborating with existing physical casinos. They survived after a last-minute reversal vote in the House in February. However, the two sides disagreed on the path for distributing tax revenue and measures to protect traditional physical venues. HB 161 proposed an additional 6% economic development fee to establish a "no harm" account to compensate physical casinos for potential losses due to online competition, while SB 118 did not include this provision. The bills were originally intended to authorize the Virginia Lottery Commission as the regulatory body, allowing each licensed physical casino in the state to collaborate with up to three online platforms, with a $2 million platform fee and a $500,000 initial license fee.
Other Developments: Fairfax Casino Approved, Electronic Skill Games Banned
Despite the setback in legalizing online casinos, the legislature still approved several other gambling reforms, including authorizing a conditional physical casino in Fairfax County (subject to local voter approval), banning the use of credit cards for sports betting, and enhancing regulation of certain daily fantasy sports formats. Additionally, the Virginia Supreme Court recently upheld a ban on electronic skill games, strengthening the state's jurisdiction over gambling regulations. A spokesperson for the National Anti-Online Gambling Alliance praised the lawmakers' decision to block the bill as correct. It is unlikely that the bill will be reintroduced in the short term, as early committee votes were close and ongoing political opposition indicates that without significant compromises on revenue sharing and regulatory oversight, lawmakers are unlikely to reintroduce online casino legalization. Want to stay updated on the latest iGaming legislation developments across the US? PASA's official website keeps track.
————
This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
