WV Lottery Commissioner Resigns Day After Sports Betting Launch

On August 31, West Virginia Lottery Commissioner Alan Larrick stepped down from his role, coinciding with the soft-launch of sports betting in the state just a day earlier.

Larrick’s sudden departure was not accompanied by any official explanation. In light of this development, Gov. Jim Justice took the step of appointing Doug Buffington, the Deputy Revenue Secretary of West Virginia, to assume the role of interim director for the commission.

“In a press release, Justice expressed that there is no doubt about (Larrick)’s exceptional performance, and his absence will be felt.”

In January 2017, Larrick assumed the role of commissioner. Under his leadership, both instant and total sales experienced a significant improvement in their year-over-year performance, marking the first positive growth in several years.

Commissioner’s resignation oddly timed

Larrick’s decision to resign may or may not be related to the introduction of sports betting. In West Virginia, the lottery commission is responsible for regulating all forms of gambling, including sports betting.

On August 30, Hollywood Casino Charles Town introduced its sportsbook through a soft launch. Merely two days later, the casino marked the grand and official opening of the sportsbook with great joy. The festivities were made even more special with the presence of Joe Theismann, a former NFL player and renowned commentator.

Larrick’s resignation came as a shock, considering his strong vocal support for sports betting in the Mountain State. In an interview with the Charleston Gazette Mail in March 2018, he expressed the commission’s proactive stance in anticipation of the Supreme Court’s decision on PASPA.

He expressed excitement about collaborating with our partner casinos, stating that we have managed to gain an advantage by being ahead of the curve. We are leading the way in this endeavor.

Larrick may have possibly believed that his work was finished, as he had successfully established himself as one of the masterminds behind West Virginia sports betting, securing his lasting legacy.

WV sports betting off to a good start

The other four West Virginia casinos are expected to launch their own sportsbooks in about a month. Meanwhile, Hollywood Casino is already demonstrating encouraging outcomes.

During an interview with WV Metronews, Erich Zimny, the VP of Racing and Sports Operations at Hollywood Casino, revealed that the sportsbook had accumulated a total handle of $640,000 within just four days of commencing operations.

Zimny stated that out of the total amount of $640,000, $320,000 would be retained by the casino as hold. While a portion of this sum is set aside for future bet payouts, the casino plans to keep the majority of it as profit.

Zimny confirmed that the state of West Virginia has gained an additional $32,000, with ten percent of it being allocated to the state budget through taxes.

As the NFL season approaches and additional sportsbooks are emerging, the only way for that figure to move is upwards.