West Virginia Purses to Take Another Hit
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Photo: Tom LaMarra
Charles Town in West Virginia
Though the numbers will vary depending on revenue generated by video lottery terminals, purse accounts at West Virginia racetracks will take another hit because of a legislature-mandated reduction to help support the fiscal 2016-17 budget.
Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races faces about a $1 million reduction in purse funds, while Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort could lose up to $500,000. Two dog tracks will take a combined hit of $500,000-$600,000, according numbers discussed during a recent West Virginia Racing Commission meeting.
"Overall, the numbers stay the same (as the last cycle), but depending on how VLTs perform at each track the numbers will fluctuate," WVRC executive director Joe Moore said.
The state legislature has been shifting VLT-generated funds from purse accounts for about 10 years to pay for other programs.
Through July 3, Charles Town purses averaged $140,992 per day, down 10.5% from the same period in 2015, according to The Jockey Club Information Systems. Purses at Mountaineer averaged $83,699 a night, down 6% from last year.
In 2006, before casino gambling in Ohio and just as casinos began opening in Pennsylvania, Charles Town averaged $198,890 in average daily purses the first half of the year, and Mountaineer $149,929. In roughly 10 years, average purses are down 29% at Charles Town and 44% at Mountaineer; both tracks have trimmed their racing schedules in recent years.