NORFOLK, Va. — Business owners are protesting two measures going through the Virginia General Assembly that, if passed, would make “skills games” illegal.
The game they're hoping to save is called "Queen." The company Queen of Virginia has about 7,500 gaming machines across the state.
Business owners say when people win on the machines they get a ticket, which they take to the bartender to get cash. The owners want to keep that relationship going, because while people sit and play games, they also order food and drinks, which brings in even more money.
Randy Wright, a consultant for Queen of Virginia, said the games need to stay because they help local businesses.
"They've done retro-fitting in restaurants," Wright said. "All of that would be gone if they wanted to go back to where they were. So, they've reinvested in themselves, and we've given them a vehicle to do that."
Wright said business owners pull in 40 percent of "Queen" profits.
“It depends on how they do, but, generally speaking, the benchmark is somewhere around $100,000 a year for the restaurant," said Wright.
The way "Queen" works is that a player has a certain amount of time to match patterns on a screen. If the player loses his/her money, he/she can continue by completing a second game based on memory.
But some lawmakers say the game and others aren't games of skill and they should be considered illegal gambling.
Restaurant owner Tommy Posilero said the games do provide a boost for his business in Norfolk.
"We were struggling for a bit.Those machines have gotten people into my door, and they know what Mona Lisa's really about."
Wright said that Queen of Virginia also donated millions of dollars to charities.
"We're not just all about cutting these profits. We're helping tons of charities across Virginia, particularly ones right here in Hampton Roads."
Terry Riddick, who is the director of Director of Best Kept Secret-Stop the Violence, said his nonprofit was able to assist more people through donations it received from Queen of Virginia.
“They helped us provide more service to the communities for...high crime areas in our neighborhoods," said Riddick.