Lexington, KY – EquiLottery has joined West Virginia Racing United as an Honorary Member as part of its effort to bring its innovative lottery game based on the results of live horse racing to the state. EquiLottery, working with this well-established trade organization that represents horsemen and The Jockeys’ Guild in West Virginia, will attempt to pass legislation during the 2017 session that allows for a lottery game to be based on a live horse race.
“We have enjoyed a great working relationship with multiple racing interests in the state of West Virginia since our inception in 2014,” said EquiLottery Founder and CEO Brad Cummings. “They were among the first to embrace the idea of EquiLottery and now is the perfect time for us to work together to bring this innovation to The Mountain State. Together we look forward to providing this important industry a vital marketing tool that enhances purse and racetrack funds while also returning money to the good causes supported by the West Virginia Lottery.”
The bill will be a shared effort by EquiLottery and West Virginia Racing United and will propose a tweak to the statutory language unique to West Virginia that currently prohibits the lottery from basing a game on the results of a live sporting event by excluding horse racing from this prohibition. This approach has precedent across the country in states such as Kentucky and Minnesota which expressly allow for lottery games based on the results of live horse racing despite a prohibition against combining lottery with other live sporting events. More details about the bill will be available in the coming weeks.
“We are very happy to count EquiLottery as the newest member of our organization,” said West Virginia Racing United President Randy Funkhouser. “Their support of racing in West Virginia through our organization shows EquiLottery is not just an innovative product, but is also committed to being an active part of our local industry. We look forward to the opportunity to work on this legislation together and share the excitement of live horse racing with hundreds of thousands of West Virginians who are not currently engaged with our product.”
Since its public announcement over the summer of 2014, EquiLottery has worked diligently to develop its lottery product based on the results of live horse racing. During that time, this innovative company has structured agreements with lottery industry leader IGT Global Solutions and leading tote provider AmTote International to be able to deliver a cohesive lottery experience. EquiLottery is also developing its IOS and Android mobile app which will allow players features such as watching races live and on replay, scanning tickets and setting push notifications for upcoming races.
Media Contact
Brad Cummings
(502) 644-1454
brad@equilottery.com