KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Virginia

HB1272 • 2026

Electronic gaming devices; regulation, penalties, sunset.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 2.2-511, 2.2-3711, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 18.2-325, 18.2-334, 19.2-389, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, 37.2-314.2, 52-54, 58.1-4002, 58.1-4003, 58.1-4006, 58.1-4007, 58.1-4015.1, 58.1-4048, and 58.1-4103 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3 of Title 11 a section numbered 11-16.3, by adding a section numbered 18.2-334.7, and by adding in Title 58.1 a chapter numbered 42, containing articles numbered 1 through 5, consisting of sections numbered 58.1-4200 through 58.1-4225, relating to regulation of electronic gaming devices; penalties.</p>

Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Hayes
Last action
2026-03-14
Official status
Failed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed information on specific penalties or how tax proceeds will be used, leading to uncertainty in these areas.

Regulating Electronic Gaming Devices

This bill sets rules for electronic gaming devices, including licensing requirements and a tax on profits.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates new laws to control how electronic gaming devices are made, sold, used, and played in Virginia.
  • Requires people who want to make or sell these games to get special licenses from the Virginia Lottery Board.
  • Imposes a tax of 30% on all money earned from playing these games.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who make, sell, or play electronic gaming devices in Virginia.

Terms To Know

Electronic Gaming Devices
Special machines that allow people to play games and win money electronically.
Licensing Requirements
Rules about getting permission from the government before you can do something, like selling or playing a game.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify exactly how the tax money will be used.
  • It is unclear what specific penalties apply to different violations of the rules.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB1272AC

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment recommends rejecting a previous Senate proposal and accepting a new substitute amendment to resolve disagreements over House Bill No. 1272.

  • Rejects the Senate's initial proposed changes (Senate Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute).
  • Accepts a new substitute amendment to address the differences between the House and Senate versions.
  • The specific details of the new substitute amendment are not provided, making it hard to explain concrete changes.
  • Without the full text of the new substitute amendment, we cannot describe all its effects or limits.
HB1272AC1

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: The amendment recommends rejecting a previous Senate proposal and accepting a new substitute amendment to resolve disagreements over House Bill No. 1272.

  • Rejects the Senate Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108704D).
  • Accepts a new Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110090D) to resolve disagreements.
  • The specific details and content of the new substitute amendment are not provided, making it hard to explain its exact changes.
  • Without further information on the rejected Senate amendment, we cannot describe what was in it or why it is being rejected.
HB1272H3

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report Substitute

Plain English: The amendment changes several sections of Virginia's laws to regulate electronic gaming devices and sets penalties for violations.

  • Amends and reenacts multiple existing sections of Virginia law related to public meetings, criminal offenses, and financial regulations.
  • Adds new sections in Title 11 and Title 58.1 to the Code of Virginia to establish rules and penalties for electronic gaming devices.
  • The provided text is incomplete and does not fully explain all changes made by the amendment, especially regarding specific details about electronic gaming device regulation.
  • Some sections are truncated or missing, making it difficult to provide a complete summary of the amendment's effects.
HB1272H4

2026-03-14 • Conference

Conference Report Substitute

Plain English: The amendment changes several sections of Virginia's laws to regulate electronic gaming devices and sets penalties for violations.

  • Amends multiple existing statutes to add or modify regulations related to electronic gaming devices.
  • Adds new sections to the Code of Virginia to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for gaming commerce in the Commonwealth.
  • Establishes specific penalties for violations under the new regulations.
  • The provided text is incomplete and does not fully detail all changes, making it difficult to provide a complete summary.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Second conferees appointed by Senate

  2. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Second conferees appointed by Senate

  3. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Senate Conferees: Rouse, McPike, Head

  4. 2026-03-14 Conference

    Conference Report released

  5. 2026-03-14 House

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/14/2026 12:35 pm)

  6. 2026-03-14 Conference

    Conference Report released

  7. 2026-03-14 House

    Conference report rejected by House (42-Y 52-N 1-A)

  8. 2026-03-14 House

    House requested second conference committee

  9. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Senate acceded to request for second conference committee (35-Y 4-N 0-A)

  10. 2026-03-14 House

    No further action taken

  11. 2026-03-14 House

    Failed to Pass from conference

  12. 2026-03-14 House

    Failed to Pass from conference

  13. 2026-03-14 Conference

    Conference Report released

  14. 2026-03-14 Conference

    Conference Report released

  15. 2026-03-14 House

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (3/14/2026 4:06 pm)

  16. 2026-03-14 House

    Conference report rejected by House (46-Y 47-N 1-A)

  17. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Conference report agreed to by Senate (24-Y 15-N 0-A)

  18. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Read third time

  19. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Read third time

  20. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  21. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Senate requested conference committee

  22. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Conferees appointed by Senate

  23. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Senate Conferees: Rouse, McPike, Head

  24. 2026-03-04 General Laws and Technology

    General Laws and Technology Substitute agreed to

  25. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Passed Senate with substitute (26-Y 14-N 0-A)

  26. 2026-03-04 House

    Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 92-N 1-A)

  27. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Senate insisted on substitute Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  28. 2026-03-04 House

    House acceded to request

  29. 2026-03-04 House

    Conferees appointed by House

  30. 2026-03-04 House

    House Conferees: Hayes, Krizek, Kilgore

  31. 2026-03-03 Finance and Appropriations

    Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 2-N)

  32. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Rules suspended

  33. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Rules suspended

  34. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  35. 2026-03-03 General Laws and Technology

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1272)

  36. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  37. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  38. 2026-02-26 General Laws and Technology

    Committee substitute printed 26108704D-S1

  39. 2026-02-26 General Laws and Technology

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/26/2026 3:50 pm)

  40. 2026-02-25 General Laws and Technology

    Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 7-N)

  41. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  42. 2026-02-18 General Laws and Technology

    Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

  43. 2026-02-17 Appropriations

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/17/2026 9:48 am)

  44. 2026-02-17 House

    Read third time and passed House (59-Y 36-N 1-A)

  45. 2026-02-17 House

    Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

  46. 2026-02-17 House

    Passed House (52-Y 41-N 2-A)

  47. 2026-02-16 House

    Read second time

  48. 2026-02-16 House

    committee substitute rejected

  49. 2026-02-16 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  50. 2026-02-16 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  51. 2026-02-15 House

    Read first time

  52. 2026-02-13 Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

    Assigned to HAPP Sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

  53. 2026-02-13 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations with substitute (13-Y 9-N)

  54. 2026-02-13 Appropriations

    Committee substitute printed 26107957D-H2

  55. 2026-02-13 Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (6-Y 1-N)

  56. 2026-02-12 General Laws

    Reported from General Laws with substitute and referred to Appropriations (15-Y 6-N)

  57. 2026-02-12 General Laws

    Reconsidered by General Laws (Voice Vote)

  58. 2026-02-12 General Laws

    Reported from General Laws with substitute and referred to Appropriations (14-Y 7-N)

  59. 2026-02-12 General Laws

    Committee substitute printed 26106931D-H1

  60. 2026-02-11 Subcommittee #5

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (2/11/2026 9:32 am)

  61. 2026-02-11 Subcommittee #5

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1272)

  62. 2026-02-10 Subcommittee #5

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (6-Y 1-N)

  63. 2026-02-10 Subcommittee #5

    House subcommittee offered

  64. 2026-02-07 Subcommittee #5

    Assigned HGL sub: Subcommittee #5

  65. 2026-01-15 House

    Fiscal Impact statement From VCSC (1/15/2026 11:14 am)

  66. 2026-01-14 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104592D

  67. 2026-01-14 General Laws

    Referred to Committee on General Laws

Official Summary Text

Regulation and taxation of electronic gaming devices; penalties.
Authorizes and specifies the licensing requirements for the manufacture, distribution, operation, hosting, and playing of electronic gaming devices, as defined in the bill, under the regulatory authority of the Virginia Lottery Board. The bill imposes a 30 percent tax on all gross profits from the play of such electronic gaming devices and provides for the use of such tax proceeds. The bill also imposes criminal and civil penalties for violations of the law and regulations related to electronic gaming devices.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SECOND JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT
We, the conferees, appointed by the respective bodies to consider and report upon the disagreeing vote on
House Bill No. 1272
, report as follows:
A. We recommend that the Senate Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108704D) be rejected.
B. We recommend that the attached Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26110090D) be accepted to resolve the matter under disagreement.
Respectfully submitted,
Delegate C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. (signed)
Delegate Paul E. Krizek (signed)
Delegate Terry G. Kilgore (signed)
Conferees on the part of the House
Senator Aaron R. Rouse (signed)
Senator Jeremy S. McPike (signed)
Senator Christopher T. Head (signed)
Conferees on the part of the Senate