Amid a slew of fresh taxes proposed by the newly emboldened Democratic majority in Virginia, the latest entry seeks to sack people’s fantasy football leagues.

The Fantasy Contests Act, authored by Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, would impose a 10% tax on fantasy sports revenue from games played within the Commonwealth.

Five percent, or 0.5 percentage points of the overall 10% tax, would go to the state’s problem-gambler treatment fund, while the other 95% (9.5 percentage points) would go to the state’s general fund.

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It also requires fantasy sports contest operators to register with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and obtain a permit before offering any games to people in the Commonwealth.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ebbin for comment on the tax, and how he came up with the idea for it.

While Ebbin did not respond by press time, Fox News Digital also attempted to press the senator on how this latest levy aligns with Virginia Democrats’ campaign mantra of “affordability.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to the state’s two legislative Republican caucuses for additional comment.

The Virginia Lottery would have rulemaking and oversight authority over daily fantasy sports, according to Gambling Insider.

Other states are also considering legislation providing oversight or regulation of fantasy sports, including Illinois, the outlet reported.

There, a bill would grant the state’s gaming board the ability to tax and regulate such play at anywhere from 10 to 15%.

The Washington think tank Americans for Tax Reform came out swinging against the legislation with a full article-length critique of Ebbin’s plan.

“As with every tax and fee imposed on businesses, the cost doesn’t stay with the company; it’s ultimately passed on to consumers,” ATR wrote.

“This new tax inevitably translates into smaller prize pools, higher entry fees, fewer promotions and bonuses, and less competition in the market. In other words, Virginia players are the ones who end up footing the bill.”

ATR also criticized the logic behind how the bill was crafted, saying that if fantasy sports truly are skill-based — in that players use their sports knowledge to draft, start, sit and trade players — they should not be taxed “as though they were a vice.”

Virginia Democrats have also proposed a slew of other tax proposals — aside from their plan to redistrict potentially every Republican congressman except Morgan Griffith out of their seat.

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One such bill creates a net-investment income tax on trusts and estates, raising the Commonwealth’s top marginal rate to just under 10%.

Other proposals create new high-tax brackets, levy Second Amendment related purchases like an 11% tax on ammunition, place a tax on home-delivery services like Amazon, UPS and Uber Eats, and expand the current breadth of the state sales tax to include purchases not previously taxed under Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s tenure or earlier.

California lawmakers are expressing concern about how the future of Warner Bros. Discovery could affect Hollywood’s workforce.

In an open letter addressed to Netflix Chief Executives Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters and Paramount Skydance Corporation CEO David Ellison, U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) call for the industry giants to make “concrete commitments to Californian and American workers.”

Late last year, Netflix won the highly anticipated bidding war for Warner Bros, which would give the streamer control over Warner Bros.’ storied Burbank film and TV studios, HBO and HBO Max. The pending $72-billion deal would greatly reshape the Hollywood landscape. Separately, Paramount has continually thrown in counter-bids and has been consistently rejected.

With all of these moving pieces, there’s a bipartisan fear among the nation’s lawmakers about how the acquisition could affect jobs in the U.S. entertainment industry . As stated in the letter, the industry “supports more than 680,000 jobs and contributes over $115 billion annually to the regional economy.”

Given the slowdown the industry has seen post-COVID and the growing number of international productions, Los Angeles film activity was down 13.2% from July through September 2025 when compared with the same period last year. This downward trend continues to build on the loss of 42,000 jobs in L.A. between 2022 and 2024.

Ellison and Sarandos have made arguments for why they believe their respective companies are best positioned to take over Warner Bros.

But each deal comes with major cuts. Paramount is projected to slash $6 billion in expenses over three years, and Netflix is projecting to cut $2 billion to $3 billion. Some analysts believe these cuts will have a significant effect on the workforce.

Previously, Ellison said, “We believe that what we are offering is better for Hollywood. It’s better for the customers and it’s pro-competitive.”

Sarandos is also quoted in the letter saying: “We think it’s great for consumers. We think it’s a great way to create and protect jobs in the entertainment industry.”

Earlier this week during a Senate subcommittee hearing, Sarandos said Netflix plans to increase its film and television production spending to $26 billion this year, with a majority of that happening in the U.S.

The lawmakers’ letter raises a series of questions surrounding the livelihood of creators, the use of AI and “concrete steps” about preserving jobs in L.A. Schiff and Friedman also offer the CEOs an opportunity to meet with them to discuss their answers.

In an effort to ensure “America continues to lead the world in the creative economy,” the letter said that Congress is currently working on bipartisan legislation that would establish a federal film tax incentive. It will be modeled after state programs in California, Louisiana and Georgia.

“We view this as a tool to not just protect but encourage more domestic filming and sustainable job creation on American soil,” wrote the lawmakers.