Video lottery machines at about 100 bars, clubs, and video parlors around the state will be shut down Thursday morning - if the bar operators don't renew their limited video lottery retailers' licenses by the end of the workday today, Lottery Director John Musgrave said Tuesday.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Video lottery machines at about 100 bars, clubs, and video parlors around the state will be shut down Thursday morning - if the bar operators don't renew their limited video lottery retailers' licenses by the end of the workday today, Lottery Director John Musgrave said Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, about 100 of the 1,609 limited video lottery licensees had failed to renew their licenses, which expire at midnight.
Musgrave told the Lottery Commission that, after a one-day grace period, the Lottery will shut off all lottery machines at bars and clubs that don't have up-to-date licenses at 3 a.m. Thursday.
All 19,774 video lottery terminals at racetracks, bars and clubs around the state are controlled through a central computer system in Charleston.
Musgrave said the Lottery has struggled each year getting all limited video lottery retailers to renew their annual licenses by Oct. 1, and shutting off the machines has been effective in the past in getting licensees to pay their renewals promptly.
Also Tuesday, Musgrave said overall Lottery revenues held steady through August, despite negative economic news nationally.
In August, Lottery revenues from all sources - racetrack and limited video, traditional online and instant games, and table games - totaled $133.5 million, up $2.2 million from August 2007.
The Lottery's share of table game profits for August totaled $2.7 million.
Despite competition from Pennsylvania, racetrack video lottery revenue reached $80.3 million for the month, up 3.4 percent from August 2007. Limited video lottery revenue for August was $34.4 million, up about 2 percent.
For the first two months of the 2008-09 budget year, Lottery revenues are at $265.3 million, up about 1 percent from the same period last year.
"Right now, we're right where our projections are, and right about even with last year," Musgrave said of Lottery revenues.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Video lottery machines at about 100 bars, clubs, and video parlors around the state will be shut down Thursday morning - if the bar operators don't renew their limited video lottery retailers' licenses by the end of the workday today, Lottery Director John Musgrave said Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, about 100 of the 1,609 limited video lottery licensees had failed to renew their licenses, which expire at midnight.
Musgrave told the Lottery Commission that, after a one-day grace period, the Lottery will shut off all lottery machines at bars and clubs that don't have up-to-date licenses at 3 a.m. Thursday.
All 19,774 video lottery terminals at racetracks, bars and clubs around the state are controlled through a central computer system in Charleston.
Musgrave said the Lottery has struggled each year getting all limited video lottery retailers to renew their annual licenses by Oct. 1, and shutting off the machines has been effective in the past in getting licensees to pay their renewals promptly.
Also Tuesday, Musgrave said overall Lottery revenues held steady through August, despite negative economic news nationally.
In August, Lottery revenues from all sources - racetrack and limited video, traditional online and instant games, and table games - totaled $133.5 million, up $2.2 million from August 2007.
The Lottery's share of table game profits for August totaled $2.7 million.
Despite competition from Pennsylvania, racetrack video lottery revenue reached $80.3 million for the month, up 3.4 percent from August 2007. Limited video lottery revenue for August was $34.4 million, up about 2 percent.
For the first two months of the 2008-09 budget year, Lottery revenues are at $265.3 million, up about 1 percent from the same period last year.
"Right now, we're right where our projections are, and right about even with last year," Musgrave said of Lottery revenues.
He said August figures were probably helped by the introduction of poker at Tri-State Racetrack and Casino, as well as near-record sales of the "Deal or No Deal" scratch-off game.
Launched Aug. 21, poker at Tri-State produced $188,233 in revenue in its first 11 days.
However, Musgrave said Lottery revenues appear to be trending downward over the past 10 days, possibly reflecting the public's concerns over the national financial crisis.
Musgrave said an economic downturn could result in many people cutting back on spending for entertainment, including Lottery games.
"We're all competing for that recreational dollar," he said.
Also during Tuesday's meeting:
Commissioners approved the first "persons excluded list," which bans eight people from entering any of the three state racetracks with table games. Lottery attorney John Melton said the eight people have been convicted of crimes involving table games. The state table games law also allows the Lottery to ban known card cheats from the facilities, he said.Dean Patrick, deputy director for table games, said Tri-State is on course to launch a full variety of table games, including blackjack, roulette and craps, next week.Plans are to offer charity games on Monday and Tuesday, and if no problems are found, to launch full table gaming on Thursday.
Gov. Joe Manchin, via teleconference, congratulated Musgrave for his election as president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. The association represents 51 state and provincial lotteries in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.Musgrave was elected Friday at the association's annual conference in Philadelphia.
"We appreciate the job you're doing, and the whole Lottery Commission is doing," Manchin said. "It goes without saying we are very blessed to have you all."
Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 348-1220.
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