West Virginia gaming advocate Roger Ramey dies at 85

Roger Ramey, a longtime advocate of racing and gambling in West Virginia, died on Thursday morning at his home in Winchester, Va., according to a former employer. Ramey was 85.

Ramey served the last 20 years of his career in various management positions at Charles Town Races in West Virginia. While at the track, Ramey pushed for the legalization of slot-machine gambling at West Virginia racetracks, and, following that successful effort, led another push for the legalization of table games. That, too, was successful.

Ramey retired from Charles Town in 2016 after eight years serving as the vice president of public affairs. Prior to that position, Ramey’s titles at the track included president.

Before taking a job at Charles Town, Ramey was a member of the state’s racing commission for 12 years, where he established deep ties with the members of West Virginia’s horseracing community. He served on the boards of both the Charles Town Racetrack Chaplaincy and West Virginia Breeders’ Classics.

“Roger Ramey loved this community and property and was so proud to represent each of them,” said John Finamore, the senior vice president of regional operations for the parent company of Charles Town, Penn National Gaming Inc. “He cared deeply about racing and the community and did so much for the people in this area. Roger was a consummate gentleman and you couldn’t find anyone that had a bad word to say about him.”

Ramey is survived by his wife, four children, and two stepchildren.