NY Post article on NY lottery

[MaxPower]

It is sad that people in New York can throw away their money on slot machines and scratch off tickets, yet they can't throw away their money on poker.


VID BETTORS SPEND WHOLE SLOTTA CASH

By KENNETH LOVETT Post CorrespondentMon Feb 6, 6:00 AM ET

ALBANY - Video slot machines were the state's fastest growing lottery games by far last year, with a 53.1 percent jump in the cash gamblers pumped into them.

The popular, Vegas-style machines generated $294 million in sales in 2005, the first full year of operation for four of the five racinos (racetrack casinos), compared with $192 million in 2004, state Lottery figures show.

Sales are expected to grow even more this year, particularly if a megaparlor with 5,500 machines opens at Yonkers Raceway in September, as planned.

"The New York Lottery is very pleased with the growth of video gaming," said Lottery Director Nancy Palumbo, adding that the facilities generated $155 million that went toward education funding last year.

But critics fear they will increase problem gambling.

"They are addictive," said Sen. Frank Padavan, a Queens Republican who is the Legislature's leading gambling opponent.

"People sit and get mesmerized to the point that they lose track of time and place. They keep pouring money into those things and the machines just gobble it up."

Padavan and other gambling opponents unsuccessfully sued the state, claiming that video lottery terminals are unlawful under New York's Constitution.

Meanwhile, overall lottery sales - including those from video slots - grew to $6.6 billion last year over 2004, a 6 percent increase.

But some games suffered. The venerable Lotto continued to shed players, as sales dropped 18.6 percent last year.

The popularity of the Keno-like Quick Draw, Take 5, Instant Win and Pick 10 also declined last year.

On the flip side, the multistate Mega Millions, which offers the chance at huge jackpots, continued its steady rise, with sales in New York totaling $529 million, an 11.1 percent jump over 2004.

Instant games also continue to be a good bet for the state Lottery, with sales totaling $3.2 billion last year, a 10.3 percent increase over 2004's $2.9 billion.

Padavan said he's not surprised that some games like Lotto have been declining, since New Yorkers have only a finite amount of money to spend on gambling and will use it on heavily advertised games that offer the biggest jackpots.