A little over a week ago, a hopeful WV online casino gaming bill was introduced by a group of bipartisan West Virginia delegates. This news has generated a palpable sense of excitement, especially considering the numerous challenges faced in the past when attempting to garner support for similar bills.
Skipping ahead to Tuesday, H 2934, also known as the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wager Act, successfully overcame its most challenging obstacle on its path to approval, as many perceive it to be.
Following the voting procedure on multiple amendments, the House Judiciary committee decided to advance the bill to the Finance Committee by passing it out of their committee.
Del. Eric Householder, chairman of the Finance Committee and one of the bill’s co-sponsors, took action last night to eliminate the second reference. Consequently, the bill will undergo its initial reading on the floor today and a vote in the House is scheduled for Friday. Subsequently, it will proceed to the Senate.
Delegates debate tax rate and wording
Originally, the bill included a 10 percent privilege tax on revenue generated from online gambling in West Virginia, mirroring the tax imposed on sports betting in the state.
Consideration was given to a 15 percent tax on Tuesday. Similar to the viewpoint of certain delegates who find the sports betting tax insufficient, there are also those who believe that the tax on online gambling is inadequate.
An amendment was introduced by Del. Tom Fast, proposing a substantial increase in the tax rate for online casinos in WV to 35 percent. This sparked a considerable amount of debate on the matter.
Ultimately, Del. Shawn Fluharty, a co-sponsor of the bill, emphasized that a 35 percent tax would effectively render the bill unsuccessful.
Del. Moore Capito concurred with Fluharty.
If you believe that this legislation is beneficial and aligns with your vision for West Virginia, voting against the amendment is the course of action you should take. Conversely, if you dislike the bill and disagree with its contents, supporting the amendment would likely be your preference.
The amendment was declined, while the approval was granted for the 15 percent tax rate on online gambling.
After the removal of the phrase “crime of moral turpitude,” the bill proceeds to the floor. Del. Geoff Foster proposed an amendment to eliminate this outdated language initially included in the WV Lottery legislation to prevent potentially dubious license applicants. However, due to its lack of specificity, the phrase has been included in multiple bills without serving any practical purpose.
WV satellite casino bill also moves forward
A new bill is currently progressing towards a vote in the Mountain State, aiming to further develop casino gambling. If approved, HB 2901 would grant licensed racetracks the opportunity to establish satellite casinos within their respective counties.
Del. Erikka Storch is a co-sponsor of the online gaming bill and the primary sponsor of this particular legislation. The reason behind her introduction of the bill is her representation of the district that encompasses Wheeling Island Hotel, which is currently dealing with difficulties arising from its vulnerable location and the risk of flooding.
Storch said,
“Our aim is to proactively address the construction process and prevent any potential revenue losses. We simply desire to offer them flexibility and ensure clear visibility.”
The lack of specificity regarding location requirements in the bill has raised concerns. Douglas Buffington, who represents the Lottery Commission, assured the committee that all applications would undergo thorough evaluation to ensure compliance with local laws and zoning ordinances for any new location.
WV casinos in the spotlight
As per the rankings by US News and World Report, West Virginia’s economy currently stands at the 49th position. However, the Mountain State has recently made significant progress in enhancing this statistic.
This week, the spotlight is on the WV casinos as two bills advance towards floor votes. The destiny of these bills will be determined within the next three weeks, as the WV legislature remains in session until March 9th.
At present, there is a high likelihood that WV will join the ranks as the fourth state in the nation to legalize online gaming and sports betting.
In a tweet, Fluharty summed it up perfectly by referring to poker.
As long as there isn’t a detrimental card on the river, our chances of achieving full passage are quite favorable.
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