CHARLESTON, W.V. — The director of the West Virginia Lottery has resigned.
Alan Larrick's resignation became effective Saturday, Gov. Jim Justice said.
"After the successful launch of sports gaming at the Hollywood Casino in Charles Town yesterday (Thursday), Alan Larrick informed Gov. Jim Justice that he would step down as the director of the West Virginia Lottery effective Sept. 1, 2018," the release from the governor's office said.
Justice appointed Larrick in January 2017. Larrick, a Beckley native, was an attorney for 38 years in Beckley, forming the Larrick Law Offices in 1996.
"There is no question he has done an excellent job and he will be missed," Justice said.
Phone calls for comment to the governor's office, the Lottery and Larrick's law office were not returned. The state Department of Revenue, which oversees the Lottery Commission, didn't know of the resignation Friday before the governor's statement was released.
"I had not heard that, I had no idea," said Kathy Torlone, an executive assistant to Secretary Dave Hardy and listed as the contact for interviews. "Nobody in this office had heard anything."
In a statement released later Friday evening, Justice appointed Doug Buffington, the deputy secretary for the West Virginia Secretary of Revenue, to serve as acting lottery director.
The Lottery Commission oversees and regulates all games, limited video lottery, racetrack video lottery, racetrack table games, and casino gaming. It now regulates sports betting in the state after the West Virginia House and Senate passed legislation March 3 in anticipation of a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing sports betting in May. Hollywood Casino in Charles Town was the first racetrack and casino in the state to go live with sports betting Saturday.
"Larrick oversaw a 12 percent increase in instant sales, the first year over year increase in instant sales in more than a decade, and a $12 million total sales increase from the previous year, the first year over year sales increase since 2012," according to the Governor's Office.
l gave them 12% increase in instant sales, $12 million in total sales, and now sports betting goes live?
Maybe his desire to bet sports (legally) overcame his keeping his position!
Coin Toss - This is exactly what crossed my mind the minute I read the news release - thanks for voicing it for me!
Jake,
Great minds!
"Nobody in this office had heard anything."
So nobody in that office know why he resigned.
Maybe he wanted to vamoose before any collusion scandal.
Something tells me if you read between the lines that Larrick was not happy with the sports gaming. I mean come on, launched Thursday and he's out of there Saturday.
If so-good for him for standing on his morals/beliefs.
Thank you, DElotteryPlyr for taking the words out of my mouth, that is basically what I was thinking and he did the right thing instead of making a fuss about what the citizens obviously want!
Going off what you posted BD- it would seem that we do not have many " in between the lines readers" out there. Kinda like when you dated in your teenage years, and he/ she said " we through, we done." Those words were viewed as just for rehearsal...just in case.
In PA, the casino people are suing the lottery people over casino like games but in WVA the lottery director apparently resigned over casino like games in casinos?
The WVA Lottery saved their horse and dog racing industries by putting casino like slot machines at the race tracks. That eventually evolved into full service casinos. The WVA Gaming and Racing Association is now over casinos and race tracks. The lottery never was going to run the sports books so I doubt that's why Larrick resigned.
I didn't know why the West Virginia Lottery director resigned because of the sports gambling? Who's going to replace Mr. Alan Larrick?