Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, November 29, 1993 TAG: 9311290067
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C5 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
"I look at it this way," said Del. Jerrauld Jones, D-Norfolk. "It is not a question of if riverboat gambling, but when. And the question is, will Virginia become the leader rather than a follower in the industry? The place in the marketplace makes a tremendous difference."
Jones said projected riverboat revenues in Virginia are anywhere from $300 million to $500 million annually, including taxes, new businesses and other economic gains.
A bill sponsored by Jones to legalize riverboat gambling last year failed to get out of the House General Laws Committee by a 10-8 vote. He is determined to get the issue on the House floor and to a vote in the General Assembly session that starts in January.
Speaker of the House Thomas Moss, D-Norfolk, said he will support the bill. The bill has yet to reach the state Senate, but Moss is optimistic it will pass the House. "Eventually, I think we'll see it happen," he said.
Jones' bill calls for approval of five licensed Virginia locations, with two boats per license. He foresees boats operating in Norfolk, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Hampton-Newport News and possibly along the York, Rappahannock or Occoquan rivers near Fredericksburg.
If riverboat legislation clears the General Assembly session, Jones hopes to have it placed on a statewide referendum ballot next November. If Virginia voters approve it, the state would begin the regulation and licensing process within eight or nine months. The first riverboat could be in the water in 1995, he said.
The issue might face heavy resistance from religious and family-oriented groups, such as the Chesapeake-based Christian Coalition.
"The Christian Coalition's position on state-supported gambling is clear," spokesman Mike Russell said. "We believe it's just plain wrong. We'll obviously be monitoring the viability of this legislation - we'll be monitoring to see what sort of support it gets."
Jones' bill also faces opposition in the General Assembly.
House Minority Leader Vance Wilkins, R-Amherst, is one of the committee members who voted against the measure last year.
"I don't think it's a good idea to promote something like this," he said. "We spend millions of dollars to teach our kids to work hard to be successful, and this sends an entirely different message."
But the most vocal opposition comes from horse-racing supporters competing to build Virginia's first track and betting parlors. They say riverboat gambling would cut into their customer base.
"Riverboat gaming could have a significant impact on business," said Thomas H. Meeker, president of Churchill Downs, a bidder in the racetrack sweepstakes. "It would lessen the likelihood of quality racing in Virginia."
Meeker said research shows that gambling competition can undermine horse racing during the start-up.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.