CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Senate passed the satellite gambling bill during Tuesday morning’s floor session.
The bill, SB 100, which was approved 23-10, would allow the state’s existing racetrack casinos to establish a satellite location to be located in the same county where the existing casino is located.
According to the bill, the satellite location would have to be approved through a referendum vote of county residents and receive the approval of the West Virginia Lottery Commission.
Senator Eric Nelson, R-Kanawha, the bill’s lead sponsor, said he hopes Mardi Gras Casino can open a satellite location at Town Center Mall in downtown Charleston.
“I look at this bill as an opportunity should the mall owner and others come to some agreement to potentially have a secondary location somewhere inside that mall,” Nelson told fellow Senate members during Tuesday’s floor session.
Nelson said last week in the Senate Finance Committee that the current situation at Town Center and its vacancies is “quite shameful and it’s very unfortunate.”
He said Tuesday the property is in a good location for a gaming facility.
“You have other amenities such as restaurants, you have hotels nearby and you have plenty of parking. Most of all you have a wonderful Coliseum and Convention Center that brings people in,” Nelson said.
Was lead sponsor on SB100 to allow satellite #casinos. 1st step to possibly allow expansion/diversification into the @CharlestonTC. pic.twitter.com/x2SS2qw9Z0
— Eric Nelson, Jr. (@ericnelsonjr) March 1, 2022
Nelson said the referendum requirement was a key addition to his original bill.
“This requires a local referendum in the county of one of those four existing racetracks should they decide to go forward with a secondary location,” Nelson said.
Senator Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, successfully amended the bill Tuesday to include language that would require casino owners not to take away from their original locations if they have a satellite location.
“The first location would still continue to operate with the same amenities and accommodations that it currently offers, such as gaming, sports wagering that kind of thing,” Weld said.
The racetrack casinos are located in Kanawha, Ohio, Hancock and Jefferson counties.
The bill now goes to the House of Delegates. The House approved a similar bill in 2019 but it didn’t make it through the Senate.
The 60-day legislative session ends a week from Saturday.