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Virginia Gambling Bill Establishing Treatment Program Signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin

A Old Dominion State play bank note seeking to institute a problem gaming midpoint with an raiment of handling programs and resources has been signed into law past the state’s Republican River Gov. John Herschel Glenn Jr. Youngkin.

Senate Bill 836 — legislating to create the state’s Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee — was introduced in Dec by body politic Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania). The end of the statute, Reeves’ office says, is to come up to and supply resources for those who have go inflicted with play disorders.

The consultative citizens committee testament also put to work to curb possible play problems before they escalate past improve making known the public near the potential risks associated with the state’s expanding gaming industry.

SB 836 was pushed through the House of Delegates by Del. Saint Paul Krizek (D-Mount Vernon). The bipartisan legislation gained unanimous funding in for each one chamber of the VA General Assembly before being sent to Youngkin’s desk.

I greatly apprise Gov. Youngkin’s financial support in this endeavor,” Reeves said prepared remarks. “As a father, it pains me to view how our early days feature been unnatural by gaming and all the ills that come in with it.”

Virginia lawmakers long opposed gaming elaboration efforts until the General Assembly inward 2020 in agreement(p) to earmark sure cities to deliberate gambling casino projects inward enjoin to gad economical growth. The 2020 gaming account was signed by then-Gov. Ralph Northam (D).

More Gambling, More Gambling Problems

Four casinos inwards Old Dominion State are inward the workings or have already opened. Along with the casinos in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Bristol, and Danville — and a fifth possible inwards capital of Virginia — VA lawmakers in 2018 legalized parimutuel wagering on historical gymnastic horse racing (HHR) machines.

The HHR eyeshade was component of an effort by Chicago-based gaming unwavering Revolutionary Racing to purchase the shuttered Colonial Downs Racetrack. Revolutionary said it would purchase the running and convey endorse live Equus caballus racing, but only when if the nation allowed the companionship to control HHR terminals at the racetrack. The 2018 HHR visor to boot legalized such gaming at sure off-track wagering facilities.

Brick-and-mortar casinos and parimutuel betting on gymnastic horse races antecedently feed aren’t the only if unexampled forms of gaming to be legalized inwards recent years, as Old Dominion today is also nursing home to both in-person and online sports betting. Gambling on sports was included inward the state’s 2020 gaming package.

The comfort of memory access to online sportsbooks, job gaming officials say, has resulted inward a spike in problem gambling rates among jr. people.

The 2021 Old Dominion State Youth Study, which is facilitated past the land Department of Health inwards collaborationism with the Old Dominion Foundation for Healthy Youth, found that nearly a billet of luxuriously school day students in Old Dominion reported gambling inward some forge within the yesteryear 12 months. Nearly two-thirds of Virginians ripened 18-25 reported play within the past tense 30 days.

Hotline Help

Virginia has had a problem gambling hotline inward performance since casinos, HHR machines, and sports betting commenced inward the commonwealth.

Officials with the Old Dominion State Problem Gambling Hotline — 1-888-532-3500 — say their phones experience been ringing to a greater extent than ever. The hotline is managed by the Old Dominion State Council on Problem Gambling.

Reeves’ government note following Youngkin’s theme song becomes in force(p) July 1, 2023. That gives body politic officials enough time to give and watch the programs and resources that testament be offered past the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee.

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