Winners Entertainment Gets W. Virginia Reprieve

Winners Entertainment Inc., a supplier of video gambling equipment, said Monday that the governor of West Virginia has signed a law that lets the company continue operating its machines at a West Virginia horse racetrack--at least for the next nine months. The law also stipulates that local elections be held by Jan. 1, 1995, to determine if legalized use of video gambling machines should be allowed to continue permanently. Winners Entertainment, based in San Juan Capistrano, operates 165 such machines at the Mountaineer Track & Resort in Chester, W. Va.

Last year, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the video gaming machines were in violation of state law. The governor’s action relieves fears, at least temporarily, that the company would lose an estimated $4 million a year in revenue if it is forced to shut its operations.