91% Of W. Virginia's VLTs Must Be Upgraded Or Replaced

CHARLESTON, WV – Some 6,800 of West Virginia's 7,471 video lottery terminals need to be upgraded or replaced in the next three to five years, according to officials of the state's Lottery Commission.

Buying new VLTs statewide could cost $30 million, said George Carenbauer, an official of the West Virginia Amusement and Limited Video Lottery Association.

In 2016, IGT plans to stop providing parts and service for Game King models, which comprise most of the state's VLTs, according to local news sources. | SEE STORY

By late 2017, IGT said it will obsolete the computer protocol linking those VLTs to the lottery's central computer.

VLT operators and distributors spent nearly $70 million to renew 10-year VLT licenses in 2011.