statement by scott saunders, vice president & general manager, on the reopening of hollywood casino at charles town races

Social Distancing

• The installation of floor decals and signage to strictly enforce social distancing guidelines in areas where lines typically form.
• Slot machines will be configured to meet social distancing requirements.
• Table Games will have a maximum occupancy based on type of game; masks are required to play table games. There will be limited types of games available.
• Live music, entertainment, convention, and banquet services will remain suspended.
• The Inn at Charles Town has reopened.
• There will be no large drawings, tournaments, or special events.
• Skybox Sports Bar, Final Cut Steakhouse, and The Eatery are open.
• The H Lounge is temporarily closed for entertainment.
• The Poker Room and Valet are temporarily closed.
• The Sportsbook is now open daily.

Health & Safety

• Team members and vendors are required to wear masks and undergo a health screening each day, including temperature checks, prior to their shift.
• Based on the Executive Order by Gov. Jim Justice, and in order to help reduce the spread of COVID – 19, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will be requiring all persons in public areas to wear a mask covering the face and nose.
• Slot machines will be thoroughly and regularly cleaned throughout the day. We have implemented similar protocols for table games.
• Sanitizer stations have been installed on the casino floor and are readily available throughout the facility.
• We deploy a fog machine to disinfect and sanitize every night.
• Smoking, including vaping and e-cigarette use is currently not allowed in inside the casino. We have designated smoking areas outside at the Valet entrance and in the East garage.

FAQ

1. Hotels Near Hollywood Casino West Virginia. Accommodations near Hollywood Casino are shown below sorted by distance (closest at the top). Browse our hotels to find accommodations near Hollywood Casino (in Hollywood Casino) for your personal or business trips.We sell the best motels and hotels close to Hollywood Casino so you can review the discounted Hollywood Casino accommodations below.
2. May 20, 2020 West Virginia’s five licensed casinos are Hollywood Casino & Inn at Charles Town Races, Mardi Gras Casino & Resort at Nitro, Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack, Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort in Hancock County and The Greenbrier Resort, which is owned by Justice’s family.

What are your hours of operations?
The Casino will be open from 8 a.m. – 4 a.m. each day. We will close from 4 a.m. – 8 a.m. to sanitize and disinfect the facility. Entrance into the casino will end at 3:30 a.m.

How do I enter the casino?
Traffic to the casino will enter from Rt-340 and from 5th Avenue onto Hollywood Boulevard and will be directed to the East Garage.

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What if I have an oversized vehicle that does not fit in the parking garage?
Please park across from the casino in the lot on Finish Line Avenue and enter through the East Garage entrance.

How can I find the wait times to enter the casino?
Wait times will vary based on time of day and day of week. Currently, we have no wait times during the weekdays and very little wait times on the weekends. We cannot provide updates on wait times in real time.

Will we honor expired driver’s licenses and ID’s because of closed DMV’s?
Expired Drivers Licenses will be accepted if the expired date is February 1, 2020 to current. This is subject to change based on DMV requirements

Will my temperature be taken before I enter the casino?
Yes.

Do I need to wear a mask to enter?
Yes, masks are required per the Governor’s Executive order. Mask must cover the nose and mouth.

Is smoking allowed?
No, smoking is not permitted inside the casino at this time. Smoking is allowed in designated areas outside the Valet entrance and in the East garage.

What dining outlets and bars are open?
Currently Joe and Dough, The Classic, and Zen are open with limited menu options and hours. Social distancing protocols will be observed in the ordering and dining spaces. The Skybox Sports Bar and Final Cut Steakhouse are open. The Charles Town Drafthouse and H Lounge Bar are open for complimentary soda, water and coffee as well as the ability to purchase alcohol. Beverage service on the floor will be limited.

What Table Games are available?
Currently we are offering Blackjack, Mini-Bacc, Spanish 21, Rapid Roulette, 3 Card Poker*, 4 Card Poker*, Pai Gow Poker*, Let it Ride*, High Card Flush*, Heads Up Hold’em Poker*, and Craps. Craps has limited positions available and reservations are taken at the table. Minimums vary by day and game type. Masks are required to play table games. *Cards are dealt face up.

Is the Poker Room open?
No. Per the reopening guidance from the State of West Virginia, we are only to allow table games where the cards are not touched by the guests, therefore the poker room is not authorized to operate at this time.

When will spectators be permitted to watch Horse Racing?
The first-floor grandstand has reopened for live racing and simulcasting operations. Spectators can now watch live horse racing. Live racing will continue to be held at Charles Town on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings with a first race post time of 7 p.m. At this time, all guests must access the property through the East Garage entrance, therefore all guests must be 21 or over to access racing.

Is the Sportsbook open?
Yes. The Sportsbook is now open daily. The self-betting kiosks are open from 8 a.m. – 4 a.m. every day.

Can I still get a hotel room?
The Inn at Charles Town has reopened with a limited capacity

Will the Shuttle Bus be running?
The shuttle bus will run hourly from The Inn at Charles Town to the Bus Entrance.
Shuttle Bus Hours of Operation:
Monday – Thursday: 12:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday – Sunday: 8:30 a.m. – 4 a.m.
The shuttle will not make stops at any other local hotels and will only transport registered guests of the Inn at Charles Town at this time. The shuttle will be disinfected after each trip. Masks are required.

Will there be concerts and live entertainment?
Currently, there will be no live entertainment at the H Lounge. Tickets for concerts that have been postponed or rescheduled are valid for the new date or you may contact Ticketmaster for a refund. Updates on future Event Center entertainment can be found on our website under the entertainment tab.

Can I still get self-serve drinks?
No. Self-serve drinks will not be available. Drinks may be purchased from the open dining outlets, bars, or beverage servers. Complimentary water, soda and coffee will be available from cocktail servers and at the bar locations.

Will there still be complimentary drink service on the casino floor?
No. Complimentary drink service will only be available for Elite and Owners Club tier level guests at this time. Alcohol may be purchased from cocktail servers or at the H Lounge and Charles Town Draft House.

Will my mychoice card, mycash, or tier level be expired when I come back?
No. Your mychoice card and mycash will both be valid. Your tier level will be the same as before we were ordered to close on March 16, 2020. Though your mychoice card may show an expiration date of 3/31/2020 you DO NOT need to get a new card printed, it will still work just as it did prior to the closure.

Introduction to West Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

West Virginia slot machine casino gambling consists of five casinos including one casino resort and four racetracks with slot machines. Many retailers have a few video lottery terminals.

The West Virginia state legislature has two sets of minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits depending upon the location of the gaming machine. Limited return statistics are available annually.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

Keep Reading … Or Watch Instead!

Or … Listen Instead!

Subscribe to my Professor Slots podcast at Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Amazon Audible Gaana Stitcher Pandora iHeart Radio Tune-In SoundCloud RadioPublic Deezer RSS and everywhere else you find your podcasts!

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in West Virginia*

The minimum legal gambling age in West Virginia depends upon the gambling activity:

• Land-Based Casinos: 21
• Poker Rooms: 21
• Bingo: 18
• Lottery: 18
• Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 21

In 1994, West Virginia legalized video lottery terminals at their thoroughbred and greyhound racetracks. In 1999, West Virginia began allowing physical reel slot machines at licensed racetracks.

Machine restrictions at these pari-mutuel wagering facilities include approval by the local county and having only:

• Slots
• Blackjack
• Keno
• Many versions of poker

In 2001, West Virginia passed the Limited Video Lottery Act allowing bars and restaurants to have up to five video lottery terminals (VLTs) and fraternal organizations to have up to ten VLTs. The Act also restricted the state to a total of 9,000 VLTs.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in West Virginia

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in West Virginia.

Gaming Control Board in West Virginia

The West Virginia Lottery Commission controls VLT gaming regulations. This lottery was created in 1984 by amending the Constitution of West Virginia with Article VI, Section 36.

Afterward, West Virginia legalized VLTs with subsequent amendments, acts, rules, and statutes. Each statute is available in the West Virginia Lottery’s Rules and Regulations.

Hollywood Casino West Virginia Concerts

Casinos in West Virginia

Hollywood Casino West Virginia Seating Chart

There are four pari-mutuel racetracks and one casino resort in West Virginia, where their slot machines have 18 different games. In 2019, 1,303 commercial retailers each had between five and ten VLTs, offering eleven games.

The largest casino in West Virginia is Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races with 2,500 slot machines.

The second-largest casino is Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort with 1,525 slot machines.

Commercial Casinos in West Virginia

The four pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines in West Virginia are:

1. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in Charles Town, 320 miles northeast of Charleston.
2. Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Cross Lanes, 10 miles northwest of Charleston.
3. Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort in New Cumberland, 35 miles north of Wheeling.
4. Wheeling Island Hotel Casino Racetrack in Wheeling.

The single casino resort in West Virginia is:

1. The Casino Club at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, 120 miles southeast of Charleston

Tribal Casinos in West Virginia

West Virginia has no federally-recognized tribes and, therefore, no tribal casinos.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying West Virginia slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering West Virginia is:

• North: Maryland Slots and Pennsylvania Slots
• East and South: Virginia Slots
• West: Kentucky Slots and Ohio Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to West Virginia.

Our West Virginia Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in West Virginia? If so, join our West Virginia slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in West Virginia. Join us!

Payout Returns in West Virginia

West Virginia has two sets of theoretical payout limits including:

• Racetracks and casino resort: 80% and 99.9%
• Commercial retailers: 80% and 92% (or 95%, if approved)

Retailers must obtain individual permissions to have a greater than 92% payout. These high payout terminals must obtain Commission approval twice, including:

Written consent prior to manufacturing
Approval before applying for testing

From its 2019 Annual Report, the Commission reported the annual return statistics in West Virginia to be:

• Casino resort: 92.5%
• Racetracks: 89.6%
• Commercial Retailers: 92.1%

Summary of West Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

West Virginia slot machine casino gambling consists of one casino resort, four racetracks, and 1,303 retailers with VLT-style gaming machines. Retailers may have up to five VLTs if a bar or tavern, and up to ten VLTs if a fraternal organization. Up to 18 different games are available on these VLTs, including slot machine game themes.

The minimum theoretical payout is 80% for all VLTs. The maximum theoretical payout is 99.9% for casinos, but 92% for retailers. With permissions, retailers can obtain a 95% maximum theoretical payout for specific VLT machines.

Annual Progress in West Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Over the last year, there has been no change in the West Virginia gaming industry.

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

Charlestown Casino In West Va

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• Next: Wisconsin Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Hollywood Casino In West Va

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC