(AsiaGameHub) –   Governor Abigail Spanberger has turned down Senate Bill 661.

US.- Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has vetoed Senate Bill 661, a bill that aimed to legalize electronic skill gaming devices in the state. She noted that SB 661 would put strain on an already disjointed system and introduce more machines without a full regulatory framework.

The governor referenced data collected by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) during the period when skill games were legally allowed to operate in the state between 2020 and 2021. She said this data shows a concentration of machines in communities with higher percentages of residents living below the poverty line, belonging to minority groups, or having lower education levels.

She stated in a release: “The lack of a centralized regulatory body for gaming creates gaps in oversight that threaten the Commonwealth of Virginia’s ability to enforce rules consistently, prevent illegal activity, and protect all consumers. Right now, legalizing skill gaming and bringing more of these machines into our communities would overburden an already fragmented system. Legalizing these machines at this moment would also reward operators who knowingly ignored state law for years and set a troubling precedent for how business is conducted in Virginia.

“Moving forward, I will continue to have discussions with the General Assembly about how to ensure any expansion of legal gaming in Virginia prioritizes the well-being of all our communities.”