Voters in Ohio County, West Virginia endorsed plans Saturday to put blackjack, poker and other table games alongside slots at their racetrack, but concerns over too little local tax revenue and too much traffic doomed a similar proposal in Jefferson County, which borders Maryland and Northern Virginia.
With all 30 precincts reporting, Jefferson County voters rejected the table games option for Charles Town Races & Slots 56 percent to 44 percent. The defeat means Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming Inc. must wait two years before putting the issue before voters again.
"We are obviously disappointed with the results, but we look forward to continuing to work with state, local and community officials in order to find a way to keep Charles Town Races and Slots competitive as gaming continues to expand in nearby states," said Penn National executive John Finamore.
Kevin McCoy, director of the Christian group West Virginia Family Foundation, was thrilled to hear the Penn National had conceded defeat, calling it "excellent news for the citizens."
"We've said all along that if we could get our messages out through the churches - and we've been doing that - it would carry the day. ... We really feel that we'll be able to carry the day in Hancock and Kanawha counties, as well."
The foundation will begin advertising in those two counties within the next week or so, on television and radio, he said.
The Legislature endorsed a measure this year that allowed voters in four counties to decide if their respective tracks could offer table games as a way to combat the introduction of slots in Pennsylvania. Voters in Hancock County will decide June 30 if Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort in Chester can offer the games, while Kanawha County considers the issue for Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming in Nitro on August 11.
Ohio County's approval means West Virginia is the 12th state in the nation to have a full-fledged casino with slots and table games. It becomes the second in the nation, behind Iowa, to offer live racing, slots and table games in a single location.
With all 39 precincts reporting, the referendum to allow Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center to expand its gambling offerings won 66 percent to 34 percent.
West Virginia's industrialized Northern Panhandle has been beset by economic woes including the loss of thousands of steel industry jobs in recent years, and the track's campaign focused on the chance to create new jobs and launch millions of dollars' worth of new construction.
That seemed to resonate with voters.
"Look around," said Lester Raban, gesturing to empty storefronts and nearly deserted streets in Wheeling's downtown. "We don't have anything left. If this is going to bring in 400 jobs, I'm all for it." .
Bob Marshall, Wheeling Island's general manager, said the track will hold two job fairs next week for people interested in working at the track.
"We are going to be in the business of hiring hundreds and hundreds of employees over the next several weeks," Marshall said.
Darrin Wright, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Wheeling, said opponents were "out manned and out financed."
"I hope these folks will be held accountable to the promises they made," he said.
Unlike Ohio County, Jefferson County is not reeling from the decline of the industrial economy, and voters there expressed worries Saturday about the increased possibility of crime and sprawl issues if the track expanded its operations.
Richard Accurso, a Shepherdstown resident who voted no, said gambling is "morally decadent" and the wrong way to fund local schools - a key argument Penn National had made to garner support.
"It does bring in business, as far as that's concerned, and it brings in money. But a house of prostitution brings in money. Is that the proper way to fund our schools?" Accurso said. "It's state-sponsored addiction.
Dave Didden of Shepherdstown also voted on philosophical grounds
"I really think there's enough greed in the world, enough materialism. By creating an environment that promotes greed and the money chase, we're doing our society a disservice," he said. "... This is, by and large, an effort funded by the well-off, who are just trying to make more."
But retirees Wes and Karen Croteau of Bolivar supported the measure, saying the fast-growing and largely residential county needs every dollar it can get for roads, schools and other infrastructure projects.
"If Bolivar doesn't get the money from Penn National, how are we going to get by?" Wes Croteau said. "How many bake sales are we going to have?"
Laurin LeTart, a co-chair of the campaign to pass the measure, said the defeat is painful for people who had worked hard to solicit support.
"The real losers tonight are our schools and our county, which would have gained millions in new revenues from table games, not to mention as many as 500 new jobs," said LeTart, a member of the Jefferson County Schools Education Foundation, which helps raise money for the local schools.
WBAL Radio and The Associated Press