After hearing from angry Yorktown residents who said they don’t want to encourage more cruise ships in coastal Virginia, a House of Delegates panel voted 5-3 Tuesday to reject a proposal to allow large cruise ships to activate their casinos within Virginia waters.

The vote doesn’t mean the legislation is fully dead, because it’s still advancing in the Virginia Senate. But it’s a sign one of the more unexpected gambling bills of the 2024 legislative session may be in trouble.

At a meeting of a House subcommittee that deals with gambling and alcohol, Del. Paul Krizek, D-Alexandria, said he opposed the bill because it’s not following the same referendum process Virginia has used in the past to allow casino gambling.