CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Lottery Commission voted Wednesday to revoke the operating license and machine permits for a Huntington-based video lottery parlor.
The commission found that Karen’s Cookie Carnival extended credit and cashed checks for players, which is illegal under lottery regulations.
There were 921 separate violations. The commission imposed a $100 fine on each violation equaling a $92,100 penalty.
The commission began discussing Karen’s Cookie Carnival last December. Commission Chairman Ken Greear told MetroNews at a Dec. 18 meeting the parlor has been in trouble twice before for similar behavior.
“This potentially has the error of willful, willfully violating the regulations. Our job is to make sure the public is protected in this light,” Greear said.
The commission heard from Lottery investigator Scott Moore Wednesday. He gave various examples of check cashing and credit limits.
“She said that she personally had a $1,000 limit to play the poker machines at Karen’s Cookie Carnival,” Moore said about one of the players he spoke with. “She said her employer had a $5,000 limit.”
Greear previously said the Lottery Commission takes violations like this very seriously.
“If we don’t have the integrity and if we don’t have the faith in the general public then the Lottery is not serving the purpose and not serving the state of West Virginia as it should,” he said.