republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2020/hb-881.md

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type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Illegal gambling; definitions, skill games.	Illegal gambling; skill games; exception. Includes the playing or offering for play of any skill game in the definition of "illegal gambling." The bill also includes skill games within the definition of "gambling devices." The bill defines a "skill game" as an electronic, computerized, or mechanical contrivance, terminal, machine, or other device that requires the insertion of a coin, currency, ticket, token, or similar object to operate, activate, or play a game, the outcome of which is determined by any element of skill of the player and that may deliver or entitle the person playing or operating the device to receive cash; cash equivalents, gift cards, vouchers, billets, tickets, tokens, or electronic credits to be exchanged for cash; merchandise; or anything of value whether the payoff is made automatically from the device or manually. The bill exempts family entertainment centers from the prohibition against the playing or offering of any skill game, provided the prize won or distributed to a player by the skill games offered by such centers is a noncash, merchandise prize or a voucher, billet, ticket, token, or electronic credit redeemable only for a noncash, merchandise prize that also meets certain other requirements.The provisions related to the prohibition of skill games have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2021. The bill provides for a one-year phase-out of currently existing skill games. Each distributor, defined as a person who distributes skill games to Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) licensees and truck stops, would pay a monthly tax of $1,200 for each skill game provided for play during the previous month. Revenues would accrue two percent to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, two percent to the ABC for administering the bill's provisions, 12 percent to localities in which the skill games are located, and 84 percent to the COVID-19 Relief Fund, created by the bill. The COVID-19 Relief Fund would be used by the Governor solely for the purposes of responding to the Commonwealth's needs related to the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 pandemic.Distributors would be required to report monthly to the ABC the number of skill games provided for play. Distributors would be prohibited from increasing the number of machines above the number provided for play as of July 1, 2020 and would be prohibited from operating new skill games. Distributors would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $50,000 for violations the provisions of the bill.The remaining provisions of the bill, which prohibit skill games, would become effective on July 1, 2021. This bill is identical to SB 971.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2020	HB 881	Virginia HB 881 (2020)	bill		enacted	David L. Bulova	5	54	15	2020-01-07	2020-04-22	openstates	ocd-bill/b9f26ce1-b3a7-42ef-bffc-0296bc036ead	https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB881	baee631947f85889316abe921a3fb9985f6cc81b86e661c6f92256d8521a6d55	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia HB 881 (2020) — Illegal gambling; definitions, skill games.

Illegal gambling; skill games; exception. Includes the playing or offering for play of any skill game in the definition of "illegal gambling." The bill also includes skill games within the definition of "gambling devices." The bill defines a "skill game" as an electronic, computerized, or mechanical contrivance, terminal, machine, or other device that requires the insertion of a coin, currency, ticket, token, or similar object to operate, activate, or play a game, the outcome of which is determined by any element of skill of the player and that may deliver or entitle the person playing or operating the device to receive cash; cash equivalents, gift cards, vouchers, billets, tickets, tokens, or electronic credits to be exchanged for cash; merchandise; or anything of value whether the payoff is made automatically from the device or manually. The bill exempts family entertainment centers from the prohibition against the playing or offering of any skill game, provided the prize won or distributed to a player by the skill games offered by such centers is a noncash, merchandise prize or a voucher, billet, ticket, token, or electronic credit redeemable only for a noncash, merchandise prize that also meets certain other requirements.The provisions related to the prohibition of skill games have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2021. The bill provides for a one-year phase-out of currently existing skill games. Each distributor, defined as a person who distributes skill games to Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) licensees and truck stops, would pay a monthly tax of $1,200 for each skill game provided for play during the previous month. Revenues would accrue two percent to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund, two percent to the ABC for administering the bill's provisions, 12 percent to localities in which the skill games are located, and 84 percent to the COVID-19 Relief Fund, created by the bill. The COVID-19 Relief Fund would be used by the Governor solely for the purposes of responding to the Commonwealth's needs related to the Coronavirus Disease of 2019 pandemic.Distributors would be required to report monthly to the ABC the number of skill games provided for play. Distributors would be prohibited from increasing the number of machines above the number provided for play as of July 1, 2020 and would be prohibited from operating new skill games. Distributors would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $50,000 for violations the provisions of the bill.The remaining provisions of the bill, which prohibit skill games, would become effective on July 1, 2021. This bill is identical to SB 971.

Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1217) (committee substitute) — source
2. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB881ER) (committee substitute) — source
3. HB881H1 (committee substitute) — source
4. Impact statement from DPB (HB881) (committee substitute) — source
5. Reenrolled bill text (HB881ER2) (committee substitute) — source

Votes

• Reported from General Laws (20-Y 1-N) — 20–1 (pass) · lower
• Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (34-Y 6-N) — 34–6 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Passage (80-Y 15-N) — 79–15 (pass) · lower
• Reported from General Laws and Technology (7-Y 5-N) — 7–5 (pass) · upper
• Passed Senate with amendment (28-Y 12-N) — 28–12 (pass) · upper
• Referred from Courts of Justice — 0–0 (fail) · lower
• Senate insisted on amendments (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 18-N) — 22–18 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: REJECTED (0-Y 91-N 1-A) — 0–90 (fail) · lower
• Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N) — 38–0 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Finance and Appropriations with amendment (12-Y 3-N) — 12–3 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: Adoption (90-Y 1-N 2-A) — 89–1 (pass) · lower
• Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) — 8–0 (pass) · lower
• Amendments specific and severable (40-Y 0-N) — 40–0 (pass) · upper
• VOTE: (77-Y 17-N 1-A) — 76–17 (pass) · lower

Sponsors

• David L. Bulova — primary (person)
• Barry D. Knight — cosponsor (person)
• Betsy B. Carr — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

• 2020-01-07 Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20104783D introduction
• 2020-01-07 Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice referral-committee
• 2020-01-15 Referred from Courts of Justice
• 2020-01-15 Referred to Committee on General Laws referral-committee
• 2020-01-17 Assigned GL sub: ABC/Gaming referral-committee
• 2020-01-28 Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)
• 2020-01-30 Impact statement from DPB (HB881)
• 2020-01-30 Reported from General Laws (20-Y 1-N) committee-passage
• 2020-02-03 Read first time reading-1
• 2020-02-04 Read second time and engrossed reading-2
• 2020-02-05 Read third time and passed House (80-Y 15-N) passage, reading-3
• 2020-02-05 VOTE: Passage (80-Y 15-N)
• 2020-02-06 Constitutional reading dispensed
• 2020-02-06 Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology referral-committee
• 2020-02-18 Assigned GL&T sub: Gaming referral-committee
• 2020-02-19 Reported from General Laws and Technology (7-Y 5-N) committee-passage
• 2020-02-19 Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations referral-committee
• 2020-02-25 Reported from Finance and Appropriations with amendment (12-Y 3-N) committee-passage
• 2020-02-26 Constitutional reading dispensed (38-Y 0-N)
• 2020-02-26 Read third time reading-3
• 2020-02-26 Reading of amendment waived
• 2020-02-26 Committee amendment agreed to
• 2020-02-26 Engrossed by Senate as amended
• 2020-02-26 Passed Senate with amendment (28-Y 12-N) passage
• 2020-02-26 Senate amendment rejected by House (0-Y 91-N 1-A)
• 2020-02-26 VOTE: REJECTED (0-Y 91-N 1-A)
• 2020-02-26 Senate insisted on amendments (40-Y 0-N)
• 2020-02-26 Senate requested conference committee
• 2020-02-27 House acceded to request
• 2020-02-27 Conferees appointed by House
• 2020-02-27 Conferees appointed by Senate
• 2020-03-05 Amended by conference committee
• 2020-03-05 Conference report agreed to by House (90-Y 1-N 2-A)
• 2020-03-05 VOTE: Adoption (90-Y 1-N 2-A)
• 2020-03-07 Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 18-N)
• 2020-03-18 Enrolled
• 2020-03-18 Signed by President
• 2020-03-19 Impact statement from DPB (HB881ER)
• 2020-03-19 Signed by Speaker
• 2020-03-20 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 20, 2020
• 2020-03-20 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020
• 2020-04-11 Governor's recommendation received by House
• 2020-04-11 Governor's substitute printed 20110202D-H1
• 2020-04-22 Placed on Calendar
• 2020-04-22 House concurred in Governor's recommendation (77-Y 17-N 1-A)
• 2020-04-22 VOTE: (77-Y 17-N 1-A)
• 2020-04-22 Amendments specific and severable (40-Y 0-N)
• 2020-04-22 Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (34-Y 6-N)
• 2020-04-22 Governor's recommendation adopted
• 2020-04-22 Reenrolled
• 2020-04-22 Reenrolled bill text (HB881ER2)
• 2020-04-22 Signed by Speaker as reenrolled
• 2020-04-22 Signed by President as reenrolled
• 2020-04-22 Enacted, Chapter 1217 (effective - see bill) became-law

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/b9f26ce1-b3a7-42ef-bffc-0296bc036ead. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).