Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia SB661: An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-3711, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 18.2-325, 18.2-334, 19.2-389, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 18.2-331.1, 18.2-339, 37.2-314.2, 58.1-4002, 58.1-4003, 58.1-4006, 58.1-4007, 58.1-4015.1, 58.1-4048, and 58.1-4103 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3 of Title 11 a section numbered 11-16.3, by adding sections numbered 18.2-334.7 and 19.2-386.30:1, and by adding in Title 58.1 a chapter numbered 42, containing articles numbered 1 through 5, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-4200 through 58.1-4226, relating to regulation of gaming commerce and development in the Commonwealth; penalties.
Status: Vetoed, April 13, 2026
Regulation and taxation of electronic skill gaming devices; penalties. Authorizes and specifies the registration and licensing requirements for the manufacture, distribution, operation, hosting, and playing of electronic skill gaming devices, as defined in the bill, under the regulatory authority of the Virginia Lottery. The bill imposes a 25 percent tax on all gross profits generated from the play of such electronic skill gaming devices and provides for the use of such tax proceeds after deposit in the Virginia Gaming Commerce and Development Fund, established in the bill. The bill also imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the law and regulations related to electronic skill gaming devices.
What the bill says
From the introduced text, April 10, 2026:
(SB661) GOVERNOR'S VETO Pursuant to Article V, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 661, which would legalize electronic skill gaming devices in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The rapid expansion of gaming in Virginia over the last decade has outpaced the Commonwealth's ability to provide consistent enforcement, robust public safety oversight, and meaningful assessments of the potential impacts or harms of gaming in all its forms. Senate Bill 661 would strain an already fragmented system and introduce thousands more machines without a comprehensive regulatory structure. In the absence of a single, independent, and dedicated entity responsible for regulating all forms of gaming, Virginia is not positioned to ensure compliance, prevent illicit activity, protect consumers, or evaluate and respond to community impacts or harms. There is already data to demonstrate the ways in which an unregulated process harms communities. Notably, when electronic skill gaming devices were legal in the Commonwealth between 2020 and 2021, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority collected data on device placement, wagers, and awards. The data clearly show that devices were disproportionately located in communities where higher percentages of the population live below the poverty line, communities with lower rates of educational attainment, and communities where higher percentages of the population are Black and Hispanic. The data enumerate the millions of dollars in …