West VA Sen. Eric Admiral Nelson (R-Kanawha) wasn’t deterred by his unsuccessful legislative efforts inward 2019, or over again last-place year, to expand gaming with the conception of so-called artificial satellite casinos. Nelson is backward at it again inward 2023, and there is at one time once more an appetence inwards Charleston for his gaming bill.
Nelson wants to earmark the state’s racetrack casinos — Hollywood Casino at Prince Charles Ithiel Town Races, Mardi Gras Casino and Resort, Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort, and Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack — to unfastened smaller casinos.
Nelson’s legislation would permit the casinos to undecided a secondary location, so long as the property is within the larger casino’s host county. Voters would have got the last say, as a countywide local referendum would be held should county and gambling casino officials learn a artificial satellite cassino plan.
Nelson designed the statute law as a path to revigorate struggling retail shopping centers that feature lost many tenants in recent decades. COVID-19 only worsened commercial edifice occupancy rates inwards Occident Virginia.
It’s very similar to a bill that was introduced inwards the House inwards 2019 and introduced here lastly year,” Lord Nelson told his Senate colleagues before the voter turnout yesterday.
Nelson served in the House of Delegates — interchangeably called the General Assembly — from Jan 2013 until comely a body politic Senator inward Dec 2020.
Satellite casinos, sometimes referred to as “mini-casinos,” get been used inward other states to revitalize malls and other vacant buildings, unity notable being Pennsylvania.
Nelson introduced Senate Bill 62 inwards January. After departure the Senate Government Organization Committee, the orbiter cassino visor moved to the Senate flooring where it easily passed with a 25-8 vote.
History Repeats
Nelson’s orbiter cassino government note during the Benjamin West Virginia Legislature’s 2022 session was numbered SB100. Coincidentally, Casino.org a yr ago today wrote about the state Senate going Nelson’s mini-casino statute.
Last year’s note garnered to a lesser extent support, with only when 23 state Senators backup the thought of more casinos. Republicans, who get long controlled the chamber, picked upward a sit down during lastly November’s election.
The GOP holds 31 of the Senate’s 34 seats, with eighter from Decatur of those Republicans inaugurated in January. Of the young Senate members, heptad of the eight voted inward favor of SB62. Sen. Vince Deeds (R-Fayette) was the lone opponent of the unexampled Republican River class.
Deeds’ district encompasses Greenbrier County where the historical Greenbrier resort hotel is located. The Greenbrier is rest home to Benjamin West Virginia’s 5th and only if other commercial-grade casino. But since the Casino Club at The Greenbrier isn’t at a racetrack, the opulence resort wouldn’t restrict to deliberate a orbiter gaming location.
House Odds
Nelson’s gambling casino expanding upon statute now heads to the General Assembly for continued consideration. SB62 hasn’t yet been assigned to a commission inwards the depress chamber.
Last year, Nelson’s mini-casino eyeshade stalled after beingness directed to the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee. After that commission didn’t bit on the measure, the vizor was moved to the Assembly Finance Committee. That commission also failed to voter turnout on the statute. The West Virginia Legislature adjourned on Mar 12 with no further action mechanism on SB100.
The Judiciary Committee remains chaired past Del. George Edward Moore Capito (R-Kanawha), but the Finance Committee has a young leader inwards Del. Vernon Criss (R-Wood). Criss replaced Assembly Majority Leader Eric Householder (R-Berkley) inward December.
The Occident Old Dominion State Legislature’s 2023 session runs through March 11.
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