STATE'S GAMBLING SALES REACHING $1 BILLION RECORD

(04/30/2004)

West Virginia is about to break a new threshold - $1 billion dollars in lottery sales. Without gambling money, the state would be unable to stay afloat at its current level. The lottery recorded sales of $958 million during the first nine months of the fiscal year. Deputy Lottery Director Virgil Helton says profits are up 27 percent. Helton says the increase comes from a larger number of limited video-lottery machines at clubs and taverns. There are currently 6,700 machines. The state is expected to have a total of 9,000 video lottery machines statewide, the maximum amount approved by the legislature. All gambling income is up, including racetrack video-lottery, on-line game sales and instant ticket sales. Gambling experts say gambling increases during periods of joblessness and recession.

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