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Vote Yes Table Games was started to show there is support for table games at Charles Town Races & Slots.
By LAUREN HOUGH McGILL
For The State Journal
CHARLES TOWN — A growing group of supporters is hoping that, by standing up and being noticed, they will help show other constituents and racetrack officials that Jefferson County is ready for table games.
Eric Lewis, chairman of Vote Yes Table Games, said he and other local residents and businesspeople decided they needed to take the matter of the referendum into their own hands, convincing Penn National Gaming Inc., parent company of Charles Town Races & Slots, that they have plenty of support.
“There are ‘yes’ votes out there,” Lewis said. “We’re going to help pass this thing this time.”
Lewis is an active community member, Shepherdstown resident and CPA at Ours, Lawyer, Lewis & Co. He has taken note of what has happened in the two years since Jefferson County’s first table gaming referendum was defeated. The county’s budget has fallen short, the school system needs additional funds to build new facilities and unemployment is up, as are foreclosure rates, he said.
“We’ve decided that table games are one of the answers. They aren’t the only thing we need to do to keep the economy going and turn it around, but it can be a huge piece,” he said. “The local economy is our inspiration to pass this time.” Lewis “absolutely” was in favor of table games two years ago, when Jefferson County was the only one of four West Virginia counties to vote down the measure to allow casino-style gambling.
“I was disappointed it didn’t pass, as were a lot of folks,” he said. “I think we had the majority of citizens last time around, but not the majority of voters.”
West Virginia’s most recent special session saw the passing of legislation that will put more of the projected table game revenues back in to the county, Lewis said. He believes that the work of local delegates to make those changes will bring a lot of the “no” voters from 2007 over to his team.
In addition to the revenue benefits for Jefferson County — like nearly $4 million projected for the schools— Lewis also is trying to spotlight the potential for about 500 new jobs at Charles Town Races & Slots. He also is trying to show voters the employment opportunities that could be created at auxiliary businesses, such as those in the hospitality sector.
Lewis has a Web site, www.voteyestablegames.org, where he writes about the benefits increased slots revenue will bring to horsemen — namely, increased purses. That turns into a boost for area farmers, who provide the horsemen with hay.
“It’s a nice relationship people don’t necessarily make the connection to,” Lewis said. “Business owners are excited for the potentials of this.”
He expects his growing network of supporters to continue providing commentary and information about table games to the Web site, as well as to the group’s Facebook page, which already has nearly 200 members. Soon, the group will begin advertising and sending out mailers listing the names of table games supporters.
Penn National Gaming officials said early this spring that the company wouldn’t bring forth the referendum again until it was sure local voters wanted table games.
“We’ve been looking for the community to tell us that this is something Jefferson County wants and needs,” said Al Britton, general manager at Charles Town Races & Slots. “Certainly a group like the one Eric Lewis is forming sends the kind of message we’ve been looking for.”
Britton agreed that the new table games legislation has potential to entice voters who were either against the referendum two years ago, or on the fence about the issue.
“There are a lot of things thrown in the mix there,” Britton said. “The economy, the county’s budget, the potential for increased competition for us in Maryland — all those things certainly have an impact.”
Britton said the company is still developing its strategy and has not yet selected a date on which to bring the issue up for a vote.
But Lewis, in his continued interaction with the Jefferson County community, sees that the “yes” votes are there now, and people already are waiting to go to the polls.
“I’m pretty confident that the county is ready,” he said. “Based on the response we’ve gotten, people are willing to stand up and be noticed. I think we have a pretty sizeable support network.”
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