Bus tours that include the luxurious Greenbrier Resort are nothing new.
For years, tourists have bused to the famed resort to meet, dine, take in the pleasantries and, more recently, tour the once-secret bunker designed to protect top government officials in the event of a nuclear war.
But now, some bus tours are drawing the scrutiny of the West Virginia Lottery Commission because they are designed specifically to bring people to the resort’s casino.
The intent of the legislation allowing gambling at the Greenbrier was to provide another amenity for overnight guests. The state Lottery Commission has since revised the rules, however, permitting people attending an event at the resort to go to the casino floor even if they are not staying the night.
The Greenbrier has used that flexibility to allow bus daytrips to the casino. For example, Roanoke, VA-based Abbott Trailways is advertising on-line an “October Special” that includes roundtrip bus transportation, a gourmet lunch and $25.00 per person slot play credit.
Several Lottery Commission members are reportedly upset, believing the Greenbrier is pushing the limits of the rules. Does spending the day at the Greenbrier and having one of their sumptuous buffets classify as an event?
One could argue that eating at the Greenbrier is, indeed, memorable.
Lottery Director John Musgrave is caught in the middle. He has tried to accommodate the resort so it can generate more casino traffic, but he also has an obligation to serve as the industry regulator.
Musgrave has placed the issue on the agenda for the Lottery Commission meeting this morning. Look for him to lay out the issues and get feedback from the commissioners, but it’s unclear if the commissioners will take any action.
It’s possible that any discussion about the bus trips for day gamblers will devolve into a semantic debate about what constitutes an event. Additionally, the Lottery Commission, while maintaining jurisdiction over the casino floor, has no power to regulate whether buses do or do not bring people to the Greenbrier.
Greenbrier owner Jim Justice has pumped millions of dollars of his own money into refurbishing and operating the famed resort since he bought it out of bankruptcy in 2009. Without Justice, the resort might have closed, putting hundreds of people out of work.
He invested an estimated $80 million just in the casino, but it is losing money and the bus daytrips help bring in more players. No doubt Justice believes that, given his enormous investment, the state should be willing to meet him part way on the bus trips.
Musgrave and the Lottery commissioners must decide whether the resort is complying with the spirit of the law or bending it too far.