Virginia Casino Bill Set to Go Before Full Senate for First Time

The Virginia casino gambling bill is set to go before the full Virginia State Senate for the first time. A committee voted to drastically increase the proposed tax on casino gaming revenues and the license fee for casino operators in reporting out a bill to allow casinos by referendum in the state.

Senator Louise Lucas’s SB 36 was reported out of the Senate Finance and Appropriations committee, which voted 14–2 to approve a substitute version of that bill, with a few changes.

The revised version would impose a 27% tax on the first $150 million in casino gaming revenue, a 31% tax on revenues between $150 million and $300 million and 40% on revenues above $300 million, Bristol Herald Courier reports. The previous bill would impose rates of 15%, 20% and 28%, respectively.

The latest version of the bill also proposes increasing the local share of tax revenues to 9% on the first $150 million in gaming revenues, 10% from revenues between $150 million and $300 million and 11% from revenues above $300 million. The previous version of the bill specified 5%, 6% and 7%, respectively.

The Bristol Resort and Casino group issued a statement in response to the vote. “We are still reviewing the specific changes to the bill and this is a long process before session ends. That being said, we are pleased to have the legislation that specifically includes the five original cities pass yet another committee and we look forward to the upcoming floor vote,” according to the statement.

Sen. Lucas appeared surprised by some of the changes. “The [tax] rate is causing the most concern. Is there any way we can work out these differences in conference?”

“I am sure the House and the Senate are going to have different versions so it will go to conference. I don’t know what the outcome would be, but it [rates] would certainly be on the table,” Committee Chairwoman Sen. Janet Howell, D-Reston, said.

There were a total of 10 changes to the casino bill, including one that would require that all slot machines in casinos be connected to a central gaming system and another to allow the Colonial Downs Group to have up to 2500 additional historic horse racing games in its locations.