A conceptual rendering of a possible Pamunkey Tribe gaming resort in Norfolk, Virginia. Signs of the city's Naval shipyard can be seen in the background. Image: Pamunkey Tribe

Legislation

Virginia gaming study bill becomes law as new betting machines arrive

Monday, March 25, 2019

A bill that paves the way for the Pamunkey Tribe to open a casino has become law in Virginia.

Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed Senate Bill 1126 on Friday. The new law authorizes a study of gaming that's due December 1, The Bristol Herald-Courier reported.

The law also authorizes a process for host communities -- including those where the tribe has expressed interest in opening a casino -- to schedule a referendum on gaming. But the Virginia Legislature would have to take action again before a referendum can take place.

Assuming all those steps are completed, the casino would be operated under state, rather than federal law. That means the tribe would not have to go through the land-into-trust process, which could take several years, if not longer, to complete.

The tribe, whose reservation is located east of Richmond, the state capital, has been looking at building a casino in Norfolk. Another site closer to Richmond also has been mentioned.

The tribe gained federal recognition by going through the acknowledgment process at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The tribe's status became final in 2016.

Six other tribes in Virginia gained recognition through an act of Congress in 2018. The law bars them from following the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act even though the state allows several forms of gaming, including bets on historical horse races.

A non-Indian racetrack outside of Richmond will be offering 600 such electronic betting machines next month, WRIC reported. The machines were authorized by state law last year, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Elsewhere, the state of Idaho at one point allowed non-Indian racetracks to offer the same types of machines. But lawmakers ended up banning them after tribes complained that the devices looked too much like slot machines.