Table Game Legislation to be introduced in West Virginia today

[Tcchap]

Legislation that could give the four individual counties with racetracks the right to legalize table games should be introduced today in the WV House. There is supposed to be news conference around 1pm for the whole thing. This could be a big boon to the state and especially the counties where there are racetracks. Just wanted to update anyone who is interested.

[yeahright]

is it going to be for BJ, Craps, poker, and the whole deal???

Poker by itself would be much easier to get. Is there any distinction between poker and other games?

[Tcchap]

From what I understand, it will be all table style games. I haven't seen any distinction in any of the discussions from the radio or in the newspapers. Actually, who knows if they would even have a poker room. I would hope so with the current popularity of poker. I know that in area, there are probably at least 100 active players who are playing tourneys in different clubs.

I guess it would be an individual decision at each of the tracks.

I wonder what the take is in poker compared to bj, craps...

I would think poker would not be as much of a money make, I don't know.

[yeahright]

[ QUOTE ]
From what I understand, it will be all table style games. I haven't seen any distinction in any of the discussions from the radio or in the newspapers. Actually, who knows if they would even have a poker room. I would hope so with the current popularity of poker. I know that in area, there are probably at least 100 active players who are playing tourneys in different clubs.

I guess it would be an individual decision at each of the tracks.

I wonder what the take is in poker compared to bj, craps...

I would think poker would not be as much of a money make, I don't know.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, if they only had room for one thing, poker would be 5 or 5 slots down the line.

Poker doesn't make near the money the other table games would. You could be right, they may not even want to fool with poker.

One of the big arguments for poker though is it brings a lot of gamblers to the casino. Meaning, a lot of poker players will come to play poker, then go over to the pit and lose money playing craps.

But, like I said, if you very limited space or something, poker would lose out.

[Hairball]

Article from a local paper:

http://www.journal-news.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=6656

[Coy_Roy]

If everything were to go well, do we know when we could see the first games start?

I would go to Chucktown at least two or three times a week.

[Tcchap]

I don't know about all the racetracks, but Mountaineer expects to have 500 new employees trained and ready to go by September.

[esknights]

This would be a nice change. I'm in Maryland now and there is no close casino for poker.

[Coy_Roy]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know about all the racetracks, but Mountaineer expects to have 500 new employees trained and ready to go by September.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm soooo hoping this happens.

[dc_publius]

I recieved the following update from my friend:

HB 2718 was introduced yesterday in the West Virginia House of Delegates.

It was introduced by a senior member of the Democratic majority.

Unfortunately, the opponents of the bill are attempting to poison the well by setting the tax rate from gambling proceeds so high that support from the casinos would evaporate. Actually, on recommendation of the the State Lottery Commission, the bill sets the tax rate at 24%, which is already one of the highest rates in the country (Atlantic City casinos pay a 9% tax).

The bill would set up local referendums in the localities with slot casinos. Previously polling shows voters in Charles Town support table games. However, some legislators want a statewide referendum, which might fail.

But all hope is not lost. The casino industry may be willing to bite the bullet at 24%. The local governments that have slot casinos support the measure. The Senate has passed similar legislation in years past and Governor Manchin (D) supports the bill at least somewhat. There will be a committee hearing will take place tomorrow afternoon. A committee vote will take place probably next week. The Racing Association is gearing up massively to get this bill through. Their president is "cautiously optimistic." The Charleston Daily Mail (the second biggest paper) has an editorial today supporting table games.

FYI, the legislation specifically authorizes poker (along with several other table games) but leaves the regulation of the types of poker authorized to the State Lottery Commission. Will it be Florida-style-$.50-go-fish or real poker? We won't know until after the bill passes.

[Coy_Roy]

http://www.normantranscript.com/commerce/cnhinsbusiness_story_030225504.html


Casino gambling war is officially on in Legislature
By Mannix Porterfield
THE REGISTER-HERALD (BECKLEY, W.V.)

BECKLEY, W.V. — Heading into the second third of this legislative session, the casino gambling war officially is on, and opposition forces wasted no time Tuesday with words and threats.

In the House, a longtime foe, Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell, is preparing 40 amendments to the proposal that would let voters in dog-and-horse track counties of Hancock, Jefferson, Ohio and Kanawha vote on table games.

“I have every intention to kill the bill,” she declared, moments before the House version of the table measure game was officially put on the list of fresh bills.

“I believe absolutely it will require a statewide vote, a change in the Constitution.”

Mindful a statewide vote would assuredly bury table games, industry figures are steeling themselves for this tack, one they argue isn’t supported by the Constitution.

But Sobonya strongly disagrees, pointing to the constitutional amendment needed to approve scratch-off games by a state-run lottery.

“It’s not what people envisioned when they approved of the lottery, not Las Vegas-styled casino games,” she said.

Republicans are divided in both chambers on the issue.

In fact, the first lawmakers listed as co-sponsors in the Senate are Sens. Karen Facemyer, R-Jackson, and Andy McKenzie, R-Ohio.

“The gambling industry is trying to use the jobs argument to brush the Constitution under the rug,” Sobonya complained.

“I’m here to say if they want to crack open the code, we need to make it beneficial to the state of West Virginia. If you have a West Virginia gaming industry and tracks willing to spend $50 million for a slot license in Pennsylvania, they can do it here.”

In the Beckley area, Ray Lambert, chairman of the West Virginia Family Foundation, sees table games as another expansion of gambling.

“We’ve already seen the harm that gambling has done to West Virginia families in that it’s a regressive tax on those who can least afford it,” Lambert said.

“Their hopes and dreams are placed upon winning the lottery, when, in fact, all they’re doing is taking money from the families that otherwise could be used to pay bills, put clothes on their children and food on their tables.”

Lambert’s position, mirroring that of Sobonya, is that any vote should be put before the entire state, not just the four counties directly affected, because “the negative impact” will embrace all of West Virginia, he said.

As a 29-year business operator, Lambert said “it infuriates me” the state taxes businesses and individuals, and uses those dollars to compete with state businesses by promoting gambling.

Lambert suggested the state abide by a long-held credo of the medical community and “do no harm” to the electorate by approving gambling legislation.

Otherwise, he warned, expanding gambling through table games would merely be “breeding a new wave of addicts” whose costs will be borne by society at large.

Mannix Porterfield writes for The Register-Herald in Beckley, W.V.

[Tcchap]

The greatest thing about these people who claim that table games would be devastating to the people of West Virginia is that they never mention the fact that table games are more +ev than slots. People are already throwing their money away in the slot machines - table games is a better bet of the patrons.