Virginia is in the midst of a slot machine inspired controversy as proposals to allow slot machine-esque video lottery machines into a couple of quaint grocery stores in the Jefferson County area. The  proposals have not yet been approved and will be presented to the County's Zoning Board of Appeals this week. The reason being given to be allowed to install the slot machine type games is that they are needed in order to supplement income other wise the establishment would not be able to sustain itself.

Mack Hooe wants to open a small grocery store in a building owned by a man named Kery Fries, but both insist that with the added income from the legal video lottery machine, that the stores rural location would eventually put it out of business. Unfortunately, even if they do become approved for the slot machine like lottery stations, their business may not improve so drastically, given that 260 of the store's area residents have all signed a petition in total opposition of the lottery machines. Resident Pat Tribble said, "I think it attracts the wrong kind of people for a small community like this."

Hooe feels that the residents are overreacting and that the store would not be a bar, but just have a designated area where people could play the slot machine like lottery machines and that "most people who play the machines will be more than 50 years old and do not cause problems." The other proposal in question does seem to be a slightly different situation, with the owner want to open a bar/restaurant that will serve a maximum of two beers and also have slot machine like lottery machines for his patrons to play, which is not surprisingly being met with even more hostility.