Casino Control Commission, WTJX present budget testimony

ST. CROIX — The Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission and WTJX were the latest entities to defend their 2025 budget requests before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.

Marvin Pickering, chairman and chief executive officer, said the V.I. Casino Control Commission is requesting a $1,604,300 General Fund appropriation solely to pay salaries for commissioners and staff.

The commission has three other funding sources: the Casino Control Revolving Fund; the Casino Revenue Fund; and the Horse Race Track Casino Revenue Fund. But the commission hasn’t received funding from the last source since 2016, when operations at the Randall “Doc” James Race Track ceased. In April, an initial one-year license was granted to VIGL Operations LLC to operate a “racino” at the track.

“Once this racino commences operations, the commission will begin to receive monies” from the fund, Pickering said.