House Vetoes Slot Machine Bill

The House General Laws Committee decided yesterday that the new slot machine bill could not pass muster. The bill was going to expand the number of slot machines in the state, as well as bring in more money for transportation issues. The machines would have used old horse race simulcasts and allowed patrons to bet on them.

The bill is up for the Senate to decide on today, but many feel that the amount of gambling expansion is just not needed in the state. Del. Phil Hampton said that the new slot machines would have brought in $300 million a year for road maintenance, money that will otherwise have to come from raising taxes or fees.

The General Assembly has been trying to figure out a way to take care of their transportation needs without raising taxes or fees, and adding horse racing slot machines seems like the perfect way to do it. The bill would have allowed 10,000 of the machines at off track betting parlors.

The management of Colonial Downs has offered to foot the bill for developing and managing the machines, pretty nice of them considering they would only end up making about $17 million a year. They say the bill doesn’t have anything to do with the financial stability of the track, as they don’t need the money.



Back to February Archive or Slot Machines