A recent ruling in Hanover County dismissing a case against a skill games operator has put the anti-gambling effort into a tailspin in Alexandria.
General District Court Judge Hugh Campbell dismissed a case against a convenience store owner in Hanover County and found that new QVS2 (Queen of Virginia) machines by Pace-O-Matic that are unlocked when customers give clerks cash are not illegal gambling devices. The ruling has sent Alexandria’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter and his staff back to the drawing board.
“We are aware of the recent decision of the Hanover General District Court regarding the legality of skill games in Virginia,” Porter told ALXnow. “While the decision is not controlling authority throughout Virginia, it is certainly persuasive authority and indicative of a substantial issue with the current working of the code. We are still in the process of analyzing the court’s reasoning and holding, and at this juncture cannot make any definitive statement on the impact this decision might have on enforcement in Alexandria.”…