Thousands of West Virginians pay to play. During lunch breaks, after work. All day long, all evening long. They don't have to drive 100 miles to a horse track or greyhound track. Players simply stop at a certain bar or service station on the way home from work or from the grocery store.
Some players sit, staring at the fast-moving video screens, for hours.
That message is printed on some machines. On others, little handwritten papers offer the disclaimer. But more often than not, the machines pay off, generally 25 cents a credit. But if the machines didn't pay off, few people would play. They feed the 'gambler's rush,' the thrill of getting money.