CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An eastern panhandle state senator says it’s time for the state to fix its gambling model.
Herb Snyder (D-Jefferson) recently told fellow senators that West Virginia continues to lose lottery revenue to other states.
“The lottery model in the state of West Virginia—particularly the racino lottery, the machines and so forth—is broken and we haven’t really talked about fixing it,” Snyder said.
His proposal: Take advantage of the long border with Virginia to build gambling venues that attract Virginia residents where there is no casino gambling. Snyder predicted it would provide a needed shot in the arm for the Mountain State’s gambling industry.
“It’s the great value of that border for casino gambling that will repair and put meat back onto the bones of our lottery model,” Snyder said. “Look at coal severance—there’s not a lot we can do about that. Gas severance is tied to our future with the gas industry, but we can do something about lottery.”
Snyder doesn’t consider his idea gambling expansion.
“We already have gambling,” he said.