Supporting Critical State Programs

It’s all about budgeting. For example, we depend on reinvestment tax credits and matching marketing dollars from Tourism to drive revenue for the state and our properties.  We can better compete with gaming in neighboring states when we know the Legislature won’t look to raid our budgets year-in, year-out.

Our facilities are already are taxed at a high level – 53.3 percent for video lottery and 35 percent for table games, in addition to statorily required contributions to horse and dog racing and annual regulatory fees.  Those rates exceed those in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and that means competing states are better equipped to invest in their facilities.

Keeping up with the competition means maintaining and increasing our customer bases. It means more revenue for West Virginia. And it means keeping West Virginia on the right track by boosting the money distributed to critical programs throughout the Mountain State. It’s a win-win.

Below are only a few examples of the many programs and services supported by the video lottery and gaming industry’s revenue each year, and of which tens of thousands of West Virginians benefit.

West Virginia School Building Authority

The School Building Authority was created in 1989 by the West Virginia Legislature to address the educational planning and school construction needs of the state in an efficient and economical manner. Since its inception, the SBA has partnered with counties to provide over $3.2 billion in funding for construction projects across all 55 counties in West Virginia.

Medicaid

The West Virginia Medicaid program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR),   provides quality healthcare services to more than 550,000 West Virginians every year. Medicaid members include women and children, individuals who are 65 or older or who have a disability and individuals who make up to 138% of the federal poverty level.

West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services

The lead state entity for programs — from transportation to meals to exercises classes and in-home services — serving older West Virginians.

West Virginia Division of Highways

The Division of Highways is responsible for planning, engineering, right-of-ways acquisition, construction, reconstruction, traffic regulation, and maintenance of more than 35,000 miles of state roads. Additional duties include highway research, outdoor advertising contiguous to state roads, roadside development, safety, weight enforcement, and dissemination of highway information.

West Virginia Infrastructure & Jobs Development Council

Enacted in 1994 by the West Virginia Legislature, the West Virginia Infrastructure & Jobs Development Council (IJDC) was created to be West Virginia’s funding clearinghouse for water and wastewater projects.