Residents of Charles Town, West Virginia are divided into two groups: those who want to add table games to the Charles Town Races & Slots and those who do not. Arguments have come up on both sides stating why or why not the table should be allowed. Voters will get the chance to decide on whether or not to bring in the table games on December 5th. The table games option would include: Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, poker and other games.
The Gateway New Economy Council members conducted extensive research on the subject and came up with a thirty one page study that outlines how much the state, the county and the five municipalities have earned since slot machines were added in 1997.
This past Wednesday the group held a conference to explain what was found during the study. The ten year total in slot revenues was $24.8 million and the towns shared almost $3.7 million from the slot machines.
If the table games are approved then 500 new jobs will be added to the area. Penn National Gaming Inc., the owner of CTRS, officials says the area needs to stay competitive with Pennsylvania and Maryland.
“In order to accommodate these market trends, CTRS believes that they should add table games, in addition to VLTs and the continuation of thoroughbred horse racing, in order to grow and sustain the CTRS operation,” the Gateway study said.
Those opposed to the table games are part of a group called Vote No Table Games and they are made up of private citizens who are opposed to the games. They are gathering their own information on the issue. The group claims to have ‘actual facts’ on the legislation that allows table games which are already in place at the three other racetracks in West Virginia.
2009-11-06
