Town Hall meeting scheduled as proposed Fairfax County casino bill stalls in Richmond

Virginia Senators, Delegates, and local Fairfax County supervisors will meet in McLean on Saturday to hold a Town Hall meeting to field comments and concerns over a proposed casino for the area.

Virginia lawmakers recently introduced Senate Bill 675 (SB 675) that outlines plans for Fairfax County to be eligible to host a casino.

Senator Jennifer Boysko, along with Delegate Rip Sullivan and Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, will participate in the Town Hall meeting on Saturday at McLean High School.

SB 675 says the casino would be located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, within two miles of a major shopping destination, and outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway.

A final vote on SB 675 and a voter referendum to approve the casino won't happen anytime soon after the Virginia Senate Subcommittee on Resources voted 4-0 to carry over the bill to the 2025 legislative session rather than move the bill forward.

Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert and Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn were among those who testified in Richmond on Thursday about the detrimental effect a casino in neighboring Tysons would have on the entire region.

“Opposition to the casino bill is one of the Vienna Town Council’s top legislative priorities,” Colbert said. “Supervisor Alcorn and I expressed strong opposition to the legislation today during a Senate Finance Committee meeting this afternoon, and the bill was tabled for a year for further study.”

SB 675, introduced by Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Burke), sought to put a referendum on a future ballot to authorize a casino in Tysons Corner.

Vienna Town Councilmembers, residents, and others opposed to the proposal responded with numerous calls and emails to their representatives in Richmond.

“We are grateful to the Vienna community for signing petitions and sending emails and letters to the Town Council and Virginia legislators opposing the casino,” Colbert said. “We are also thankful for the support we received from our legislative delegation, Del. Holly Seibold (D-Vienna) and state Sen. Saddam Salim (D-Falls Church).”

Georgia Senate passes sports betting bill, House vote next

The Georgia Senate passed Senate Bill 386 (SB 386) on Thursday, a measure designed to regulate and tax sports betting under the oversight of the Georgia Lottery Commission. Lawmakers say Georgia currently “illegally” bets nearly $5 billion a year on sports.

The new measure, SB 386, sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon (R – Gwinnett), will allocate taxes collected from sports betting to student financial aid programs, including the HOPE college scholarship and Georgia Pre-K programs.

Dixon applauded the passage of the measure, stating, “In passing SB 386, we’ve paved the way for responsible and regulated sports betting in Georgia. As our state evolves, it’s crucial to acknowledge the existing landscape with neighboring states already engaging in this activity. With millions in potential revenue, SB 386 ensures that these funds contribute to the growth of Georgia, supporting essential programs such as the HOPE scholarship and pre-kindergarten initiatives. By implementing safeguards, like prohibiting credit card use for betting and providing tools for self-limitation, we prioritize responsible gambling. The bill’s bipartisan support exemplifies a united commitment to the well-being of our citizens and the prosperity of Georgia’s future. SB 386 is more than a legislative milestone; it’s an investment in education and our economy.”

Dixon serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Youth. He represents the 45th Senate District which includes portions of Gwinnett and Barrow Counties.

The bill will now be considered by the Georgia House of Representatives.

EveryMatrix gains access to Pennsylvania online casino market

EveryMatrix has obtained approval to operate in Pennsylvania giving it access to its sixth regulated North American iGaming market.

The technology and content provider has been granted ‘interim authorization’ from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board enabling it to offer its software and services to licensed operators in the state.

The Malta-based company has more than 300 global customers with North American licenses and regulatory approvals in all regulated iGaming states including New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Ontario Canada, and most recently Connecticut.

EveryMatrix delivers iGaming software, solutions, and content to online casinos and sports betting services. It will soon begin the rollout of its aggregation services in Pennsylvania via its partnership with betParx alongside expanding existing live customers such as BetMGM, Rush Street Interactive, and DraftKings.

Erik Nyman, President EveryMatrix Americas, said access in the Keystone State is a great start to 2024.

“We will continue to roll out our games portfolio and aggregation services to fill both the content gap while also adding rich bonus and gamification features that will be completely new to the U.S. market,” Nyman said in a company press release. “This will significantly boost our customers’ portfolios with proven, localized revenue-generating titles.”