Slot machines in a casino. (Aaron Black / Getty Images)
As Virginia lawmakers continue to discuss the addition of new casinos in the state, Richmond appears to be out, Petersburg seems to be in and Northern Virginia looks like a question mark.
A state Senate panel took action on an initial batch of gambling bills Wednesday, offering some early indicators of what policymakers might do on the topic this session.
A bill that sailed through the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee 15-0 would permanently remove Richmond from the list of cities eligible to host casinos after voters rejected casino referendums in 2021 and 2023.
“I’m voted in by the people of the city of Richmond. And they’ve said twice that they don’t want it,” Sen. Lamont Bagby, D-Richmond, told colleagues as he presented the bill.
Efforts to shift a prospective central Virginia casino to Petersburg also appear to be getting a favorable reception as the committee easily approved legislation adding the smaller, economically struggling city south of Richmond to the list of approved cities. Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, said she feels her city meets all the criteria lawmakers had in mind when they passed a 2020 law allowing casinos in areas in need of revitalization like Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk.