RICHMOND, Va. – A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee jettisoned legislation that would have allowed the Virginia Lottery to sell tickets on the Internet, The Connection reports. Convenience store owners were among those opposed to the bill that would have opened the door to online gambling. This is the first time a Virginia Assembly Committee has voted on the issue.

Del. Roxann Robinson introduced the bill, which was defeated 6-1 in a House General Laws subcommittee. “The commonwealth is always looking for additional funding for K-12 dollars,” Roberts said. “And so the lottery has come up with this idea to allow same-day ticket sales of the large games, Powerball and Mega Millions.” Currently, three other states allow online gambling similar to what Robinson proposed.

Virginia Lottery officials attempted to placate retailers by offering them exclusive rights to daily games like Pick Four and Pick Three, which represent 30% of lottery sales in the state. But convenience stores weren’t convinced that would help them retain sales. “We’ve come to depend on the lottery customers coming in regularly and buying other items as well,” said Charlie Parker of Parker Oil. “Despite all the assurances, many other retailers [and I] really feel strongly concerned about maintaining commission sales and incidental sales other than lottery tickets.”

“We thank the committee members who listened to the concerns voiced by Virginia businesses on the impact passage would have had on the convenience store industry, including lost incidental sales, underage purchasers, credit card and debit fees and the like,” said Mike O’Connor, president of Virginia Petroleum Convenience and Grocery Association.

Other states have been tinkering with their lotteries lately, with some considering allowing for purchase with a credit or debit card instead of cash.