Gambling Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

A Bicycle Ride Through Morgantown On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, as temperatures start to rise, people are taking the opportunity to get outside. One group in Morgantown is taking to the streets on their bicycles. Chris Schulz takes us with him as he tags along to explore the city in a new way.

On this West Virginia Morning, as temperatures start to rise, people are taking the opportunity to get outside. One group in Morgantown is taking to the streets on their bicycles. Chris Schulz takes us with him as he tags along to explore the city in a new way.

Also, in this show, with March Madness underway, some Kentuckians will legally bet on games, thanks to a law passed last year. Proponents of legalizing sports betting said the move would add oversight – and keep tax revenue in the Commonwealth.

But some worry easier gambling could come with harmful behaviors. As LPM’s Jacob Munoz reports, some experts say at-risk gamblers in Kentucky and nationwide need more help.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Chris Schulz produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Reporter Roundtable Explores Health Legislation

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there have been a number of health-related issues discussed this legislative session – from gender-affirming care, to PEIA coverage and foster care. For this week’s reporter roundtable, Chris Schulz speaks with WVPB’s Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice and Allen Siegler from Mountain State Spotlight.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, there have been a number of health-related issues discussed this legislative session – from gender-affirming care, to PEIA coverage and foster care. For this week’s reporter roundtable, Chris Schulz speaks with WVPB’s Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice and Allen Siegler from Mountain State Spotlight.

Also, the West Virginia House of Delegates approved House Bill 2007 on Friday. The legislation would limit gender-affirming medical treatments and surgeries for transgender youth. HB 2007 passed on a vote of 84 to 10. It now goes to the Senate.

The Senate took up two bills Friday relating to gambling in the state, and two of the bills considered on third reading in the House dealt with immigration laws and county financial transparency.

Finally, the Senate Finance Committee spent the first several weeks of the session hearing budgetary presentations from every department of state government. But Friday morning, the committee turned its attention to how the last of the state’s coronavirus relief funds were spent. Chris Schulz has this story.

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The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Video Lottery Sign Restrictions Eased, iLottery Coming To W.Va.

The state has relaxed legal advertising restrictions so now, as of July 1, the state’s more than 1,200 limited video lottery locations can each put up a six foot square sign that identify that it is a limited video lottery location.

West Virginia’s video lottery locations can now advertise what’s inside.

State Lottery Director John Myers said there was confusion for people not knowing what the establishments really were.

“They went into one of these locations thinking it was a restaurant, it was not identified as a limited video lottery,” Myers said. “And then they get inside and find out that there are gambling machines inside the business. So it’ll help to identify what that business is.”

West Virginia Amusement and Video Lottery Association Executive Director Michael Haid said the signs will create a brand and be uniform and tasteful, with no neon or flashing lights.

“This will be the first time we’ll be able to have anything outside of our business. It could say, Michaels Place, a limited video lottery location,” Haid said. “If you’re coming in from out of town, you may not know what it is. On the other side of the coin, there are certain people who don’t want to be in an establishment where there’s gambling, so they’ll know it’s a place that they don’t want to be at, which is equally as good.”

The state is also preparing to launch an ilottery, allowing traditional lottery tickets to be purchased online and with a smartphone. Myers said some complaints surfaced during the pandemic about limited access.

“The complaint was, hey, I can make a sports wager, or I can play casino games on my telephone. But I have to go down to stand in line at the local retailer in order to buy my lottery tickets,” Myers said. “So the customers have become accustomed to being able to use their phones for about everything anymore. And that will allow the purchase of a Powerball or Mega Millions ticket from the kitchen table going forward.”

Myers said customers will also be able to make up to a $200 lottery ticket purchase with a credit card at a retail outlet. He says the ilottery app should be up and running by Spring 2023.

First Days of Legal Sports Betting Generate About $29,000 in Tax

The West Virginia Lottery says the first official tax week of legal sports betting in the state will yield around $29,000 in tax revenue.

Acting Lottery Director Doug Buffington’s office said in a news release that the first three days of operation at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races showed taxable revenue of more than $295,000.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the West Virginia Gaming and Racing Association president, John Cavacini, says even more bets are expected to be placed this weekend when professional football season starts.

“Widely available legalized sports betting means big money for sports leagues like the NFL,” said Sara Slane, of the American Gaming Association.

Cavacini says Hollywood Casino was the first to begin legal sports betting. He says other venues will follow suit this month.

He says revenues will likely increase when mobile betting apps are up and running.

West Virginia has an advantage in attracting people across state lines to place bets because neighboring states aren’t taking up the issue, and there’s a significantly higher tax in Pennsylvania, Cavacini said.

“That’s what happened when we introduced slots and table games, because none of the other states had it,” Cavacini said. “For many years, we benefited from that.”

He said at some point neighboring states will likely legalize sports betting.

“But for now, we have a free run at it,” Cavacini said.

West Virginia Lottery Commission Sets Sports Betting Rules

West Virginia’s lottery commission has set its rules for sports betting in the state, and its director says the goal is to have sports wagering underway by football season.

The rules were approved at an emergency meeting Thursday, media outlets reported. West Virginia Lottery Director Alan Larrick said the rules give the state’s five casinos plenty of time to become familiar with the regulations.

“We’re trying to do everything we can to get sports betting available by football season — that’s what our goal is,” Larrick said. “We don’t know if we’re going to make it or not, but we’re going to try.”

West Virginia passed its sports betting law earlier this year, shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal law that had banned most sports betting.

The rules spell out what information casinos have to supply to the Lottery and what they need to do to stay within compliance, Larrick said.

“Our focus is going to be auditing, so we can be sure the numbers that are given by the casinos are accurate,” he said. “Then, we can base our (tax collection) on the correct number.”

Regarding security, the rules task casino operators to have controls in place to uncover any unusual betting activity “and report such activity according to the integrity monitoring system procedures” that were approved by the commission.

Additionally, casinos have to make sure off-site wagers are from people actually present in West Virginia at the time of the wager. The operator is required to use geolocation technology “to reasonably detect” the location of whoever is accessing sports betting online.

Sports betting on casino premises has to be done from a booth located in a sports wagering lounge, or sportsbook, that meets necessary requirements, or other locations as approved by the Lottery, the rules say.

But casinos need to construct those facilities first, so the rules also address interim sports betting licenses for casinos. This allows them to get in on the sports betting action even if their sportsbook is still under construction, Larrick said.

W.Va. Set for Sports Betting After SCOTUS Decision, But Integrity Fee Has No Traction in Legislature

Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision today, West Virginia is set to have legal sports betting. State lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year in anticipation of the court’s ruling on a case from New Jersey.

Gov. Jim Justice announced last week that he’d reached a deal for casinos to pay a fee to professional sports leagues to help them protect the integrity of their games. Casino operators, however, said the meeting with Justice ended without a deal, and they continue to oppose the fee.

A special legislative session is expected to coincide with interim committee meetings this weekend. But Senate President Mitch Carmichael says there’s no interest in the Legislature to address the integrity fee.

“We do not see — speaking from the Senate’s perspective — any path towards the state injecting themselves into this private negotiation,” Carmichael said.

During the regular legislative session earlier this year, leagues had lobbied unsuccessfully for the fee to be part of the law.