Video lottery machines sit at the Red Carpet Lounge, in Charleston, in 2014.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — During its 14-year history, Limited Video Lottery has been a reliable source of revenue for the state, declining only slightly while racetrack casino profits have plunged.
In the 2014-15 budget year, LVL provided $187 million to the state — and video lottery machine distributors believe a change in LVL law could increase that amount by $20 million to $25 million a year, according to Michael Haid, executive director of the West Virginia Amusement and Limited Video Association.
The proposal is simple: Increase the maximum number of machines allowed at LVL locations to maximize play at those places where the machines are most popular.
“Most of our operators rely on probably 15 percent of their locations for 80 percent of their revenue,” Haid said.
Haid said it’s something of a mystery why machines at some of the more than 1,300 LVL locations stay constantly busy, while machines at other locations sit idle for long periods…
