Virginia Lottery retailers refuse to sell tickets to draw attention to skill games amendment

Comment #15

Wavepack — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 02:58:27 GMT

When the regulator is a coercive monopoly regulator (as in this case), fee abuse is likely.

Cure is to have competition amongst cheat-detect and monitor companies. Players get to choose cheat-detect company they prefer (by machine choice), not a buttinski coercive monopoly taking a self declared 35% cut.

The only time you need the State is when coercion is needed, like when cheating is detected, and an arrest needs to be made for justice (by justice, I mean restitution).

Seems like

Comment #14

HiFi — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 15:15:31 GMT

Fair point, the fee should be the same as charged to traditional casinos.

Comment #13

Todd — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:42:58 GMT

No disagreement from me that the government needs to regulate all forms of gambling in the state. 35% seems monumentally excessive however. That's a case of trying to protect the lottery, rather than a logical fee. So I agree on the regulation, but I think the fee should be smaller. (Incidentally I think they take too large of a cut on the lottery too, so you can see where my mind is at on these things.

Comment #12

HiFi — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:55:29 GMT

It is good they are going to regulate it. If you decide to play skill games in any other state, there is no protections from you being cheated. The owner could set the machine to have a 0% return to player and you would never know it. This bill is not a punishment but rather a way to offer players the same protections that casinos have. Regulating cost money, hence the fees.

Comment #11

Wavepack — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 06:43:57 GMT

35% tax rate for businesses that operate skill games

Follow the money. The State wants to steal 35% of the proceeds from every skill game played. It's about excessive State greed and power, yet again.

Comment #10

cottoneyedjoe — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 23:20:19 GMT

It also bans skill games within a half-mile of a casino or other gaming establishment, as well as gaming machines within a half-mile of any daycare, school, and place of worship.

It's like death by a thousand tiny cuts. Most of these restrictions are arbitrary and meaningless. Youngkin is just trying to make it as hard as possible to operate one while making it seem like he's thoughtfully protecting the public from arcane dangers nobody thought of. Might as well add that they have to be ins... [ More ]

Comment #9

Todd — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 19:02:44 GMT

I agree that all opinions are valid, which is why I also added that what I wrote is my opinion. The part that I believe is fact is the state's motivation.

Comment #8

Artist77 — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 16:42:35 GMT

It is an issue of the type of gambling. Casino type gambling.

Comment #7

Artist77 — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:17:48 GMT

An opinion Todd. We all have opinions and I live in the state. It is an amendment to a senate bill so it is legislative.

We can buy lottery tickets online here and the vending machines are in grocery stores so the store owners are pushing their luck here. The store owners are free to protest of course but with all the convenience style stores close together, I really doubt too many are hurting financially. It is a we want even more money as store owners.

The average convenience store gr... [ More ]

Comment #6

Todd — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:55:04 GMT

Let's be crystal clear about what's happening here. The government is protecting a revenue source (the lottery). The whole thing about schools and churches is a way to achieve that goal.

Any government lottery official reading this would not be happy with me, but although I am a big supporter of the lottery, I am not a shill for the lottery.

First they tried banning skill games. That did not work, so they are now trying to limit where they can be played to the point of banning them for a... [ More ]

Comment #5

Todd — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:35:57 GMT

So gambling with the lottery is OK, but gambling with a skill game is not? Many times I have seen people scratch games at the counter, buy more, scratch more, buy more, etc. I don't see any distinction between that and pressing buttons on a screen repeatedly. Seeing a distinction between those two things is where I think it turns from a logical debate into a debate on personal choices and of opinion. That's where I draw the line. I don't like arbitrarily preventing people from making choices in... [ More ]

Comment #4

Artist77 — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 13:42:49 GMT

Add that to my long list of why I have no interest in casinos. I do not want to see sad people gambling their life away vs playing for fun and entertainment.

Casinos are not close and convenient for most people. People with gambling issues are being enticed daily with a poor economy and inflation. I think it was meant to be protective of the general public. I am not a big brother fan but people seem to get easily addicted to those machines. The store owner can still sell lottery tickets. I

Comment #3

Todd — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:44:07 GMT

You should see what it looks like in an actual casino. That guy x 1000. No need to punish a small business and reward a giant business by ensuring their monopoly. Just my opinion.

Comment #2

Artist77 — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:28:22 GMT

I don't get the church part but I was in a non chain convenience store last year and it had a large slot machine type machine. A guy playing was in a manic state playing over and over. It was sad.

Maybe people are bargaining with God in Church for a big win and then go nearby to a retailer

Comment #1

Todd — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 11:20:40 GMT

Why on Earth would the state need to keep skills games a half-mile away from a church

Virginia Lottery retailers refuse to sell tickets to draw attention to skill games amendment

Lottery Post — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 11:05:24 GMT

Amendment would effectively prohibit most small businesses from having skill games in stores

Includes video report

By Kate Northrop

Hundreds of Virginia Lottery retailers across the state participated in a boycott of ticket sales on Monday to protest an amendment to a bill that regulates skill games.

Virginia lottery players may have had difficulty buying tickets Monday, since hundreds of licensed Virginia Lottery retailers halted ticket sales to voice their frustrations with the... [ More ]