2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 19. Agriculture › Article 23. Horse and Dog Racing › §19-23-12a. Pari-Mutuel Wagering on Interstate and Intrastate Horse and Dog Racing

(1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code, a racing association licensed in this state to conduct race meetings may, with the consent of the Racing Commission and the written approval of the authorized representative of a majority of the owners and trainers who hold the permit required by section two of this article at the horse racetrack, contract with any legal wagering entity in this or any other state to accept wagers on any race or races conducted by such legal wagering entity. Unless the wager becomes part of the host licensee's pari-mutuel pool, such wagering shall be conducted within the confines of such licensee's racetrack or at a hotel as defined in section three, article six, chapter sixteen of this code, controlled by such licensee and contiguous to the licensee's property, subject to the following requirements:
(a) That such hotel contain at least one hundred rooms and be in existence on the effective date of this section;
(b) That the licensee shall have invested at least $1 million in the hotel; and
(c) That such hotel is within one-half mile of the licensee's racetrack surface.
(2) Such horse association shall retain a basic commission not to exceed seventeen and twenty-five one-hundredths percent of all money wagered, plus an additional amount equal to one and seventy-five one-hundredths percent of the amount wagered each day on all multiple wagers determined by a combination of two winning horses, including, but not limited to, the daily double, quinella and perfecta or plus an additional amount equal to seven and seventy-five one-hundredths percent of the amount wagered each day on all trifecta wagers or any other multiple wager which involves a single betting interest on three or more horses. Breakage shall be calculated and distributed in the manner provided by subsection (c), section nine of this article.
(3) The commission deducted by any licensee from the pari-mutuel pools on dog racing shall not exceed sixteen and one-fourth percent of the total of such pari-mutuel pools for the day.
(4) Out of the commission retained or deducted by a licensee under the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the licensee shall pay one tenth of one percent into the General Fund of the county commission of the county in which the racetrack is located, except if within a municipality, then to such municipality's general fund.
(5) The association shall pay each day a pari-mutuel pools tax calculated under the provisions of section ten of this article.
(6) After deducting the county or municipal share provided for in subsection (4) of this section and the pari-mutuel pools tax required by subsection (5) of this section, and the amount required to be paid under the terms of the contract with the legal wagering entity of this or another state and the cost of transmission, the horse racing association shall make a deposit equal to fifty percent of the remainder into the purse fund established under the provisions of subdivision (b), subsection (1), section nine of this article.
(7) All of the provisions of the "Federal Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978," also known as Public Law 95-515, section 3001-3007 of title 15, U.S. Code, shall be instructive as the intent of this section.
(8) For the purposes of this section the words "legal wagering entity" shall be limited to any person engaged in horse racing or dog racing pursuant to a license or other permission granted by the state in which such person's racetrack is situated and conducting race meetings, with a pari-mutuel wagering system permitted under that state's laws and in which the participants are wagering with each other and not the operator.