The bill would give the four counties with racetracks the authority to set up table games there, said John Cavacini, president of the West Virginia Racing Association, which represents the racetracks. Voters in Hancock, Jefferson, Kanawha and Ohio counties could then hold referendums to decide whether they want to expand gambling in their area.
Cavacini said table gaming is needed to fend off competition from slot-machine gambling in Pennsylvania. Racetracks in Pennsylvania now have the authority to begin installing slot machines, and Cavacini said some are poised to install the machines within six months.
Cavacini said that, according to industry figures, the state faces the prospect of losing 1,200 jobs and $110 million in revenue if table games are not approved. But if it is approved, he said the industry would hire another 2,000 people and add $50 million in revenue to state coffers.
"Competition is right around the corner in Pennsylvania," Cavacini said. "Our proposal of allowing a county option is our answer to protecting what we have invested from a company standpoint, and a partnership standpoint from the state."
Cavacini and Ted Arneault, CEO of Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort, met with the editorial board on Wednesday to try to sell their case for table games.
Arneault said the proposal would allow his resort to become a destination for tourists who want a variety of entertainment, ranging from golfing and spas to gambling. He said expanding gambling in the state would boost revenue and make West Virginia a gaming leader in the region.
"We're looking at this as part of the whole entertainment matrix," Arneault said. "From a gaming standpoint, table games is the higher form of entertainment."
Local lawmakers said that the industry might have an uphill battle in trying to convince the Legislature about the benefits of table gaming.
Sen. Michael Oliverio, D-Monongalia, said he voted against the bill last year, and plans to vote against it again when it's introduced. The bill passed the Senate last year, but ran aground in the House, Oliverio said.
Oliverio said that he does not support the bill because he doesn't want to see an expansion of gambling in West Virginia. He said he doesn't want the state to become dependent on revenue from gambling to fund important state projects.
Oliverio also would like to see more development in areas that have a lasting impact on the community. He said northern West Virginia has great potential in manufacturing, biosciences and health care, which he said are better than gambling.
"My approach is we need to continue our efforts on attracting sustainable economic development initiatives." Oliverio said. "We should pursue those rather than expand gambling."
Delegate Bob Beach, D-Monongalia, said that, personally, he doesn't like the idea of making West Virginia into another Las Vegas. He said he thinks gambling can cause addiction and would be bad for the community.
Beach said he thinks the gaming industry has also inflated the threat that Pennsylvania gambling will have on state revenues. So far, slot-machine gambling has not caught on there, despite the opportunity to put in the machines, because of the high start-up costs for racetracks.
But Beach said he will support giving counties the right to decide whether they want table games. He said he thinks that voters in those areas should be given the chance to expand gambling at the tracks if they want to.
"I think as a legislator, when a referendum bill comes to the floor, you're doing a disservice (to the voters) when you do not allow them to vote on the destiny of the community," Beach said. "If I had the opportunity in a referendum vote in Monongalia County, I would go to the polls and vote no."
Delegate Cindy Frich, R-Monongalia, said she would vote against the proposal. Frich said she doesn't think West Virginia needs to get into a race with surrounding states to increase gambling.
Frich also said she doesn't think gambling's financial boost outweighs the costs when it comes to paying for more police protection and problems associated with gambling addiction. Frich said she has known too many people whose lives have been affected by gambling, and she cannot accept any increase in gambling in the state.
"I can't imagine any circumstances under which I would support the expansion of gambling," Frich said. "I know it's an individual's choice, but I think it's very sad that the state hopes to profit off the destruction of families and lives."