The Shadow
The red dots are exclusion zones around schools, churches and day care centers. The big circles are exclusion zones around casinos, racetracks and the Rosie’s gaming facilities. Courtesy of state Sen. Bill Stanley.
In response to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent amendments to Virginia skill games, hundreds of local convenience stores protested on Monday by refusing to sell lottery tickets for the day. For locals in Alleghany County, the task to purchase a ticket was a daunting one.
The Virginian Review reached out to a number of gas stations and convenience stores in the area to confirm that they, too, participated in the protest. Those establishments included: 220 Express on 1106 South Monroe Avenue in Covington, BP on 1422 S. Durant Road in Covington, East Coast/Grab N Go on 211 West Ridgeway Street in Clifton Forge, Exxon/One Stop Mart 2211 Grafton Street in Clifton Forge, Exxon/Kelly’s Market on 15881 Botetourt Road in Eagle Rock, Happy Food Mart on 8216 Roanoke Road in Fincastle, Quick-Ette on 725 Botetourt Road in Fincastle, The Rusty Hinge on 519 Market Avenue in Iron Gate, Shell on 502 West Ridgeway Street in Clifton Forge, and Valero on 917 South Monroe Avenue in Covington.
While there were undoubtedly others in the area participating in the protest, the several listed above are indicative of the severity of the issue and the passion behind those fighting for what they believe in. In places like East Coast/Grab N Go, Quick-Ette, Happy Food Mart, Exxon/Kelly’s Market, and Shell in Clifton Forge (all with the same owner), employees went so far as to put signs on their doors and windows to let customers know they would be unable to purchase a lottery ticket from their establishment during the protest.
The point of the protest was to show just how much revenue lottery tickets bring in and to stand up to Governor Glenn Youngkin, who recently made amendments to the skill games bill. The amendments would ban skill games in several areas of the state, including Roanoke, Danville, and Martinsville, as well as ban them within a 35-mile radius of licensed casinos.
Additionally, convenience stores could be charged $9,000 —nonrefundable— for a license to have the skill games in their establishments, pay $750 a year per device, includes a 45% tax rate for businesses that operate skill games, and ban them altogether if they are within a half-mile radius of churches and daycares.
We spoke to Teju Patadia, owner of the Rusty Hinge in Iron Gate, who shared more details of the protest. In addition to refusing to sell lottery tickets, participating stores closed for one hour the following day between 3:50pm and 4:50pm. According to Patadia, 3:50 represented the 35-mile radius where skill games would be banned from casinos and the 4:50 represented the 45% tax rate.
Patadia also pointed out a video of Governor Glenn Youngkin who stated in 2021 that he supported small businesses and the skill game machines that contribute to store revenue. However, Patadia says that Youngkin’s new stance is in direct opposition to his platform.
