CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A new study before state lawmakers recommends West Virginia should stop subsidizing greyhound racing.
According to findings of the New Jersey-based Spectrum Gaming Group, which was commissioned for the study, the Mountain State continues to pour money into greyhound racing at a time when in-state wagers and attendance are declining.
State subsidies now account for 95 percent of greyhound racing purses, the report said, with much of that money going outside of the state. The subsidies stem from video lottery proceeds.
In 2012, Spectrum determined subsidies for purses plus greyhound development totaled $29 million. A study from West Virginia University determined the greyhound industry had a $31 million economic impact on the state in 2014.
The report concludes such investments could be better used in other ways.
“It’s obvious—and I don’t mean to characterize this in any way (as) derogatory to the industry—but it’s obvious we’re propping up that industry with this subsidy,” House Speaker Tim Armstead (R-Kanawha, 40) said Tuesday on MetroNews “Talkline.”
“Whenever we have a situation like that, I think it’s a great concern.”
Greyhounds race at two West Virginia casinos: Mardi Gras Casino in Kanawha County and Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack in Ohio County.
From 2004 to 2013, in-person greyhound racing wagers declined 55 percent while wagers from outside West Virginia grew by 166 percent, the study showed.
“I think that’s a real concern,” Armstead said. “I think you’ll see a lot of discussion about that and, perhaps, some action in terms of that.”