West Virginia Lottery Trying To Thwart Charity Card Games

Lottery officials in West Virginia want an end to charity gambling happening in some parts of the state and are setting up a “public education campaign” to combat them, according to a report from the Associated Press.

In addition to a lottery, the state has five gambling facilities, and the state charges $2.5 million per year for a casino license. Lottery officials claim that charity “casino nights” that feature cards and other games like roulette and craps are illegal and need to be stopped, alleging that they hurt the gaming revenues of existing West Virginia casinos.

“We’re asking fraternal organizations, charitable groups, hospitals, churches and folks not to have these types of events, find something else,” Lottery Director John Musgrave reportedly said Tuesday. Lottery officials don’t have the power to end the games. Only law enforcement does.

There are five poker rooms in West Virginia, with the largest being the 50-table room at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

West Virginia’s lottery recently announced that it recorded its 13th consecutive year with sales above the $1 billion mark.

The state is just the latest with efforts to crack down on charity card games. Nearby Ohio and Michigan, both of which have commercial casinos, have looked to phase-out such games.

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