By VABayNews Staff

A push in Richmond to legalize so-called “skill games” across Virginia is drawing sharp resistance from local officials, including Canek Aguirre, who is warning that the proposal could impose significant social and economic costs on communities like Alexandria without adequate local input.

Skill games—electronic machines resembling slot machines that claim an element of player skill—have been a contentious issue in Virginia since lawmakers moved to ban them in 2020, then temporarily allowed limited operation through court challenges and enforcement delays. The latest legislation would formally legalize and regulate the machines statewide, setting up a new revenue stream for the Commonwealth.

Aguirre, however, argues that the debate has focused too narrowly on potential tax revenue while glossing over real-world consequences for cities and neighborhoods.

Revenue vs. Responsibility

Supporters of legalization say skill games could provide millions in state revenue, reduce underground or unregulated machines, and offer small businesses an additional source of income. But Aguirre has pushed back on that framing, emphasizing that local governments are often left to deal with the downstream effects.

Concerns raised include:

• Increased problem gambling, particularly in lower-income areas
• Concentration of machines in convenience stores and small retail locations
• Strain on local enforcement and regulatory oversight
• Erosion of local authority to decide what types of gaming are appropriate

From a center-right perspective, the issue highlights a familiar tension: whether state government should impose a one-size-fits-all policy that limits local decision-making in exchange for centralized revenue collection.

Local Control at the Center of the Debate

Aguirre’s objections are not rooted in moral opposition to gambling alone, but in the belief that cities and counties should retain the right to decide whether skill games belong in their communities.

That argument resonates with long-standing conservative principles around subsidiarity and local governance. While Richmond may benefit from new tax dollars, localities could be left managing increased social costs without meaningful control over placement or density of machines.

Members of the Virginia General Assembly backing the bill argue that statewide regulation is necessary to bring consistency and oversight to a market that already exists. Critics counter that legalization risks normalizing an industry that has proven difficult to regulate elsewhere.

A Cautionary Note for Lawmakers

As the General Assembly weighs the proposal, Aguirre’s stance underscores a broader warning: legalization decisions made at the state level can have uneven and lasting impacts on local communities.

For Virginians wary of expanding gambling through legislative shortcuts, the debate over skill games is less about prohibition and more about accountability—who profits, who pays the price, and who gets to decide.

As the bill advances, Alexandria’s pushback serves as a reminder that not all growth is good growth, and that fiscal gains should not come at the expense of local autonomy and community well-being.

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