Age-Old Marketing Tactic Backfires On Queen Of Virginia

Once again, Virginia’s skill games, commonly referred to as gray machines, are being closely examined.

The Queen of Virginia, the company responsible for the nearly-slot-machine games, is now facing a lawsuit that claims it unlawfully exploited the image of the late State Senator Yvonne B. Miller for its own benefit.

An ongoing legal case is already centered around skill games.

Governor Ralph Northam signed a law in 2020 that permitted the operation of games in Virginia, along with the authority to tax generated revenue. This move has resulted in an approximate $130 million in funds. Initially intended as a short-term solution to address the financial challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2021, the law came to an end and consequently, the games were deactivated. However, following a lawsuit filed by business owners who believed that the games played a crucial role in their interests, a judge intervened in December and temporarily lifted the ban. As a result, the games have continued to proliferate until the case is revisited on May 18.

Meanwhile, the Queen of Virginia is embroiled in yet another dispute.

A flyer, a scholarship and an accusation

From 1984 to 1988, Miller made history as the inaugural black woman to serve in the House of Delegates. Following that, she continued to break barriers by becoming the first black woman to serve in the State Senate from 1988 until her passing in 2021.

Businesses associated with the Queen of Virginia are being pursued by her estate for damages worth $1.35 million, as reported by the Virginia Mercury.

According to their assertion, a flyer circulated in the General Assembly utilized Miller’s and the late Senator Ben Chafin’s images without authorization to promote a scholarship aimed at enabling residents from low-income areas to pursue higher education.

The intriguing aspect is that the scholarship’s funding is derived from tax revenue generated by skill games.

The identity of the entity behind the scholarship fund is not mentioned on the flyer. However, a witness from the estate claims that when they inquired about making a donation, they were instructed to contact the Queen of Virginia. Attorneys representing David J. Bond, the administrator of Miller’s estate, have penned a letter regarding this matter.

In order to enhance their political credibility and attract customers for their gambling services, the defendants collaborated to include Sen. Miller’s name, photograph, and likeness on the flyer they circulated.

Taking a gander at the flyer

The flyer is a vibrant announcement introducing the Miller and Chafin scholarship, designed to pay tribute to the esteemed “legislative legends” who hailed from different ends of the political spectrum.

The scholarship is specifically designed to benefit students whose incomes fall below the federal poverty line. Notably, this program covers the entirety of their academic and living expenses. Remarkably, it would be the pioneering initiative of its nature in the United States.

According to the flyer, extending the collection of skill game tax revenue for an additional year has the potential to support the educational aspirations of around 10,000 Virginia students, enabling them to pursue degrees at community colleges.

During the pandemic, skill game revenue serves as the defining factor between hope and failure for numerous family-run small businesses.

The absence of any fine print indicating the entity responsible for managing the scholarship fund, as well as the lack of contact information, suggests that no such fund was ever established by the company.

What’s a skill game?

The Queen of Virginia games, found in sports bars and convenience stores across Virginia, are brought to you by Pace-O-Matic, a company based in Georgia.

The gameplay resembles that of a slot machine, however, players possess the power to rearrange the symbols after each spin, thereby creating a fresh winning pattern and increasing their chances of winning additional money.

According to The Mercury, a representative from Pace-O-Matic mentioned that it is too early to provide any comments regarding the Miller lawsuit at this moment.