West Virginia Lottery Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

W.Va. Online Poker Expands To Multi-State Playing Field

West Virginia has officially joined Delaware, Michigan, Nevada and New Jersey in the execution of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). The five-state pact allows West Virginia based online poker players the ability to play against players from other member jurisdictions

West Virginia has officially joined Delaware, Michigan, Nevada and New Jersey in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). The five-state pact allows West Virginia-based online poker players the ability to face players from other member jurisdictions.

West Virginia Lottery Assistant Director Randy Burnside said the multi-state poker rooms will give Mountain State players more competition and bigger pots.

“It’ll greatly increase the potential pool of participants,” Burnside said. “It will allow our West Virginia players, when it comes available, to play for bigger winnings.”

Burnside said “iGaming” providers like MGM and FanDuel must get West Virginia, and the multi-state members approval, before going live.

“Once one of our providers wants to do this, and they submit a letter of intent to the lottery to gain that approval, they will begin testing,” Burnside said. “They will do everything that they have to do and then they’ll be able to offer a game that includes players from those other states as well.”

This online gaming expansion only applies to poker, not slots, blackjack or other online gambling games.

Burnside said the West Virginia Lottery has already gathered interest from at least two iGaming providers. He hopes the expanded online poker field begins by the first quarter of 2024.

Nearly $2 Billion Powerball Jackpot Sparking Lottery Fever

Wednesday’s $1.73 billion Powerball jackpot has old and new lottery players coming out of the woodwork.

West Virginia Lottery Director John Myers said the second largest U.S. lottery jackpot in history has ticket machines and lottery vendors working overtime.

“You’ll see lines in some cases to purchase tickets,” Myers said. “We have a group of base players that do play regularly, but when the jackpot is a higher number, usually around $400 million or so, we start seeing other people that don’t normally play, start buying tickets.”

Myers said with a giant jackpot like this, the office pools for Powerball tickets gain more members.

“The joke is you always want to make sure you get in the pool,” he said. “Because you’re not going to want to be the only person that has to show up for work tomorrow.”

Myers said when you see the winning numbers on your ticket, be sure to immediately sign the back, since it instantly becomes a bearer instrument.

“If it would be lost and picked up by somebody else, and your name’s not on the back of it, they could cash your ticket.” Myers said. “So, please sign your ticket, then put it in a very safe place, and then seek guidance from one, an attorney and two, a financial adviser.”

Myers said about $200 million a year from lottery ticket sales goes back into three statute-designated state programs.

“It goes to education, senior citizens and tourism,” Myers said. “Also, if that $1.73 billion was hit here in West Virginia, there would be a 6 percent personal income tax that would go into the state coffers as well, so that would be a significant number.”

Perhaps the most significant number, Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot whittles down to a cash value of a little more than $750 million.

The odds of hitting that jackpot are one in 292.2 million. Good Luck!

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.

W.Va. Husband, Wife Claim $2M Powerball Winnings

A Princeton husband and wife have won a $2 million prize in a Powerball drawing.

Martha and Tom Robinson claimed their winnings Tuesday at a news conference at West Virginia Lottery headquarters in Charleston.

Their ticket matched five numbers and missing the Powerball from last Wednesday’s drawing. They used the Power Play option on the ticket that doubled their winnings.

In a statement released by the Lottery, the couple plan to pay off bills, help their two adult children and potentially look for a new house.

Martha Robinson works two jobs as a high school cook and at a local hospital. Her husband is a truck driver.

Lottery Revenues Down $27M, Mostly at Racetracks

The West Virginia Lottery finished the just-completed budget year with gross revenues that were down more than 2 percent from the previous year.

Citing a monthly revenue report by the state Lottery Commission, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that most of the overall revenue decline was from video lottery at the state’s four racetrack casinos.

Overall, the West Virginia Lottery gross revenues fell by more than $27 million to $1.136 billion.

Video lottery revenues dropped about 3.5 percent to $537.7 million for the 2015-16 budget year, while the racetracks also saw revenues decrease by more than 7 percent to $43.5 million.

Officials say sales of traditional online and scratch-off games increased by about 4.5 percent, thanks in large part by several large Powerball and MegaMillions jackpots.