The Associated Press looks at the panel formed by Gov. Joe Manchin to review "the state's 8-year-old system for licensing the video poker and slot machines that formerly proliferated without regulation or taxation."
"There are 9,000 under the statute," State Lottery Director John Musgrave, a member of the panel, told AP's Tom Breen. "The governor has indicated he'd like to see fewer machines, and we'll have to see how that plays out."
With the licenses up for renewal in 2011, "limited video lottery machines grossed $411 million in fiscal year 2008, or 27 percent of the $1.5 billion total gross from all gambling enterprises, including the four racetracks and lottery numbers games," the article said.
But more than a few communities have chafed under their volume of poker parlors, while experts continue to raise concerns over this form of gambling.
22 January 2009
Gambling in West Virginia: Video Poker
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2 comments:
I hate when a whole community chafes...
I don't see how they can afford to give up $411 million in this economy. There may be a few "sacrificial lambs," but I don't believe video poker is going away.
As Scott indicated, our state is now addicted to gambling money and it will be hard for us to ever "break the habit." So far, the government has shown no interest in doing so, but instead has added new gambling to maintain and increase gambling revenue.
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