Friday, September 29, 2006

The jingle of slot machines from neighboring Pennsylvania could serve as a
wake-up call for West Virginia lawmakers to approve table gambling, Delegate
Gil White believes. White, R-Ohio, said without table gambling West Virginia
could lose up to $50 million in revenue the first year Pennsylvania comes
on-line with its slot machines. Pennsylvania officials on Wednesday approved
licenses for five racing facilities in the Keystone State - including The
Meadows in Washington County. The horse track will provide direct
competition with Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center for slots
customers. Wheeling Island could cut up to 350 jobs if West Virginia does
not approve table gambling at its racetracks, said Bob Marshall, the
facility's president and general manager. With table gambling, the track
could add up to 400 new jobs, he said. Marshall said 60 percent of Wheeling
Island's customers come from Pennsylvania. To combat the anticipated loss of
customers and revenue, Marshall said the state Legislature needs to act
during its next general session in January. "We've been talking about this
for a couple years and the reality is it's here," Marshall said, estimating
Pennsylvania's slots would be online in April. If approved by the
Legislature in January and then by Ohio County voters, Marshall estimated
people could be playing table games, such as blackjack, about this time next
year at Wheeling Island. Whether any of his 1,000 employees would be laid
off in the meantime, Marshall could not say.

He noted during the estimated nine-month transition period, many of his
current employees may receive training to become table game dealers.

"According to our polling, 61 percent of West Virginians would approve a
local option vote," Marshall said. "This is a great opportunity to add
jobs."

He noted Ohio residents are scheduled to vote upon allowing slot machines in
November. He expects Maryland to follow soon after. He said 30 percent of
Wheeling Island's patrons come from Ohio, while only 5 percent are West
Virginians.

The addition of table gambling in Pennsylvania and Ohio, he believes, may be
inevitable, but likely will not happen for "years down the road." When it
does, though, Marshall believes the competition between the racetracks will
be more even.

The challenge for Northern Panhandle lawmakers will be convincing their
colleagues in other counties to support the measure.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the day is here," White
said. "For at least two years, I and others have been saying it was just a
matter of time before Pennsylvania was up-and-running with its machines, and
we knew this would adversely affect West Virginia's annual budget.

"If we do nothing - and do not allow for table gambling at the racetracks -
the state's coffers could be affected by $50 million.

"With no hesitancy, we need to move ahead with an aggressive format to get
the table gaming legislation passed," he said. "We need to make certain our
colleagues understand that the day is here. What we have been predicting has
taken place."

Delegate Randy Swartz-miller, D-Hancock, said he believes Gov. Joe Manchin
will not place the table gambling issue on the call for a special session
before January.

"Before January, we will make sure our colleagues are updated and educated
about what is going on, and we will be that much farther ahead come
January," he said.

"There was a very good chance that table gambling legislation would pass in
this upcoming session anyway," said Delegate Joe DeLong, D-Hancock. "We
already had expected that Pennsylvania would go online soon, so this was no
surprise. We saw it coming.

"But the political landscape has started to turn. After this next election,
the votes will be there to support the issue."

DeLong said he senses public sentiment throughout West Virginia about table
gambling is changing, especially in the Eastern Panhandle.

He added the issue certainly won't be far from legislators' minds as they
assemble late this year for a special session on tax reform.

State Sen. Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, said video gambling is the second
largest tax revenue source for the state.

"If we see this revenue reduced by 25 to 30 percent, we will either have to
cut programs or find other sources of revenue," he said. "I prefer table
gambling because it is mostly out-of-state money being contributed to the
state's economy."