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Gambling in Virginia? Casinos Will Likely Be a Hot Topic for Lawmakers in January

AP Photo / Wayne Parry

Lawmakers in Richmond are about to place their bets on casino gambling. They'll get a much-anticipated report on Monday.

Casino gambling might be coming to Virginia this year. That’s certainly the hope of people who have supported the idea for years, people like Senator Louise Lucas of Portsmouth. She introduces a bill to allow casino gambling every year.

This is how she sold the idea earlier this year.

“Just as Northern Virginia and other parts of the state will receive rewards of Amazon’s location," Lucas explained. "Rewards from which all of us will benefit, we need a game changer in our areas of the state as well.”

Critics say casino gambling would not be a jackpot for Virginia. Chris Duncombe at the Commonwealth Institute worries gambling revenues would largely come from low-income people while fostering gambling addiction and even bankruptcy.

He says members of the General Assembly should consider the odds before placing their bets. 

"As they are looking at this potential revenue, they should weigh it against who’s paying it and other social costs from enacting legalized casino gambling,” Duncome says.

Lawmakers are about to receive a report on casino gambling that will outline the risks and benefits to Virginia, and the issue is expected to be one of the hottest on the agenda when lawmakers arrive at the Capitol in January.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.