A conceptual rendering of a possible Pamunkey Tribe gaming resort in Norfolk, Virginia. Signs of the city's Naval shipyard can be seen in the background. Image: Pamunkey Tribe

Legislation

Pamunkey Tribe stands to gain with historic action on gaming in Virginia

Monday, February 25, 2019

Virginia's political world was rocked by a racism scandal and allegations of sexual assault at the highest levels of government but lawmakers managed to pass a gaming bill that benefits the Pamunkey Tribe.

Substitute Senate Bill 1126 was approved right before the end of the legislative session on Saturday. Though it still must be signed by the governor -- who faced calls to resign over a Blackface photo in his medical school yearbook -- the measure marks the first step toward gaming in the state.

The bill authorizes certain localities to hold a referendum on gaming. That includes Norfolk in southern Virginia, where the Pamunkey Tribe is interested in a casino.

But don't expect a vote any time soon. According to The Bristol Herald-Courier and the The Richmond Times-Dispatch, the referendum provisions of the measure must be approved again in 2020, and only after a gaming study is concluded.

Assuming all those steps are completed, the casino would be operated under state, rather than federal law. That would save the tribe from having to go through the lengthy land-into-trust process, which could take several years, if not longer, to complete.

Another group is proposing a casino in Bristol, in the southwestern part of Virginia. The project website promotes the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in neighboring Tennessee but does not clearly state whether or not the tribe, which operates two casinos there, is involved.