Video Lottery Story Archives - 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.

Under New Law, Bars Can Add More Video Lottery Machines

Some West Virginia bars and clubs that offer limited video lottery have taken advantage of a new law increasing the maximum number of machines.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that nearly 200 businesses have taken advantage of a newly enacted law that increases the number of video lottery machines at each location from five to seven. The law went into effect on July 1.

So far, the 187 locations represent about 16 percent of the 1,160 bars and clubs statewide offering limited video lottery. West Virginia Lottery director Alan Larrick says he expects to see more machine locations as well as an increase in revenue.

Lottery gross revenues topped $1 billion for the 15th consecutive year, finishing the 2016-17 budget year at $1.079 billion.

West Virginia Senate Considers Hike in Video Lottery Wager

West Virginia’s Senate has begun advancing legislation to increase the maximum wager to $5 for a single video lottery game.

The bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee also would set the state share of gross profits from limited video lottery revenues at 50 percent starting July 1.

The current wager limit is $2.

The state profits share has ranged from 30 percent to 50 percent, rising with the average daily gross income per terminal.

The legislation is poised for a vote by the full Senate.

Casinos Chipping Away at West Virginia Lottery Revenues

West Virginia Lottery revenues are declining, primarily from competition from casinos in neighboring states.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that the Lottery Commission’s acting director, John Myers, said Friday revenues are shrinking at a steady rate of about 4 percent.

For November, the Lottery had gross revenue of more than $87 million, down approximately $2.7 million from November 2014.

Video slots at the state’s four racetrack casinos also fell, as did Limited Video Lottery and scratch ticket sales. The revenue decline ranged from 2.5 percent to 6 percent.

W.Va. Lottery Revenue Up in March, Down for Fiscal Year

West Virginia Lottery revenue is down from the previous fiscal year, despite an 8 increase in March.

A report to the Lottery Commission shows lottery revenue totaled about $871 million for the first nine months of the 2014-2015 fiscal year. That’s down $39.5 million from the same point in the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

The Charleston Gazette says the report was released Wednesday at a commission meeting.

Racetrack video lottery revenue dropped by $25.9 million to $415.28 million. Table game revenue declined by about $3 million to $35 million.

Year-to-date limited video lottery, online and scratch-off ticket revenues also declined.

Bill on Local Smoking Restrictions is Rejected in the House

It was Tobacco Free Day at the Legislature, Friday. Coincidentally, the Government Organization Committee held a public hearing about smoking. Currently, a county board of public health passes smoking regulations. House Bill 2208, in its introduced version, would make it so only members of the county commission elected by voters have the power to regulate public smoking.

The bill has since changed and now county commissions could only decide if smoking will be allowed in casinos and video lottery businesses in the county. However, the introduced version stirred up a lot of emotions this morning as almost 30 citizens spoke to the committee.

Only one speaker expressed support for the bill.

Kenny Smith with the American Legion says putting restrictions on veterans who want to be able to go inside certain places and smoke isn’t fair.

“We are obligated to tell a man or a woman serving in the United States services under the age of twenty-one, he may not consume alcohol within our fraternal organizations; however this ship has sailed and it is accepted by this generation. We are now telling these same men and women they no longer enjoy the freedom of smoking within our walls as well,” Smith said, “To this extent, what freedoms will be taken next?”

Donna Gialluco with the Hancock County Health Department couldn’t understand why smoking was not deemed a public health issue in the introduced version of the bill.

“Fifty-one years ago, the surgeon general’s report already sounded an alarm saying the dangers of smoking and how bad they are for us. Moving forward, secondhand smoke has also been a leading cause of cancer among non-smokers in particular,” Gialluco noted, “So again, I ask this question of you. How can a legislation define smoking as not a part of public health?”

After the public hearing ended, the Government Organization Committee began to discuss the bill.

Delegate Isaac Sponaugle, a Democrat from Pendleton County, was the first one to point out that members were no longer looking at the introduced version of the bill but instead at a committee substitute.

The committee substitute no longer restricts smoking regulations to only the county commission, but instead makes it so the commission only has authority over regulations at casinos and video lottery sites. The smoking regulations set down already by each county’s public health board would remain the same as before.

Delegate Sponaugle was curious if the county commission even wanted the authority of regulating public smoking at these sites.

Jack Woodrum with the Summers County Commission spoke on behalf of the commission and says there are language issues with the bill that concern him.

The committee continued to discuss the bill questioning counsel and Woodrum on the issues of liability in the current language, of safety, and of health.

But in the end, House Bill 2208 allowing county commissioners to decide if smoking would be permitted at casinos and video lottery establishments was rejected.