Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center told NEWS9 they received word from the West Virginia State Lottery commission just after 7 p.m. Tuesday night that they can now offer poker.

Wheeling Island said they are ready and will start poker play this Friday. A ribbon cutting ceremony at the poker rooms is set for 10 a.m. Friday.

In the meantime, dealers are continuing to practice their new skills as they count down the hours until their first players arrive on Friday.

"What we're focused on the next two days is really continuing to practice certain procedures. Our dealers are continuing to practice. While they were with live customers the last two nights, today they'll just be with employees. But we want to simulate all those things we're going to be doing here on Friday," said Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center general manager Bob Marshall.

They've also got a preview party planned for Thursday night.

"[Invited guests can] come in and see the room. We'll kind of show and tell. Then we'll have some dealers upstairs to kind of walk them through and show them what a game looks like and how it works," Marshall said.

Look for continuing coverage and a live report from the racetrack on NEWS9 Tonight.