In a public appeal, the Virginia State Police said that it is launching a dedicated hotline, Gaming Tip Line, which is aimed at helping authorities locate and shutter illegal gambling operations.
Illegal Forms of Gambling Now Targeted by the Public Eye
This comes after extended attempts by local authorities to limit the proliferation of illegal gambling properties that have continued to push their illicit business onto customers. A statement from the police reads:
“As the options and opportunities for legal gaming in Virginia expand, Virginia State Police is launching a statewide gaming tip line and online form for the public to report concerns of suspected gaming operations.”
Virginia police
The idea is to involve the public so that such operations are much harder to run, although they are unlikely to disappear completely just because an informant line has been set up.
Then again, there is a correlation between the lowering of illegal operations and higher public awareness and involvement. This comes at a time of reasonable doubts also raised about the nature of gambling expansion in Virginia, with one lawmaker said to have accepted donations from a casino developer.
The tip line need not deliver concrete evidence either, as people may just call in and leave tips about potential illicit operations that they only suspect. Meanwhile, Virginia continues to play a tug-of-war between bars, restaurants, and convenience store owners on the one hand and the Supreme Court on the other, which has taken a dim view of the so-called skill game machines in the state.
Skill-based games were banned in Virginia back in October by the Supreme Court of Virginia, finding the games to be nothing more than actual slot machines operating under a false pretence. Naturally, this has elicited a strong response from companies involved in the sector making a good buck out of it, and the owners of such establishments have confirmed that they would bear the brunt of this decision.
Arguing the Toss – Machines Have to Go
However, in the past two months since, the majority of such machines have been unplugged, indicative of the realization that no matter what the opposition, law enforcement will seize such games and most likely take punitive measures against any business owner that hosts such operations on their premises.
The machines, many owners said, were a lifeline for their business, and without them, they would simply go under, but this appeal has not swayed the Supreme Court. Now, Virginia’s police are taking matters further by encouraging the public to share evidence of suspected wrongdoing involving what is now considered illegal gambling.