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More States Betting on Gambling Machines

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York – As reported by the Hartford Courant: "Joe Dolan, a trucker who likes to nurse a cup of coffee while he gambles, used to trek to Connecticut or Atlantic City with his wife to play the slots.

"Now the sleepy harness racetrack in his hometown has filled its empty rooms with video lottery terminals and he has the convenience of gambling at a 'racino' right in his back yard.

"…From Maine to California, politicians and gambling companies are scrambling to win the loyalty of more of the Joe Dolans of the world. All around, electronic gambling machines are multiplying like ATMs, swelling to a $31.5 billion-a-year business, up from $7.6 billion in 1992.

"It's an industry poised to balloon even more, too, as states look to dodge tax increases by adding gambling revenue. Even 'bingo machines' - devices that look and act like slots - are now permitted in states where slot machines are illegal.

"…Way back in 1991, before riverboat casinos, video lottery terminals and the explosion in Indian gaming, there were about 175,000 slot machines in the United States. Last year, the number was 750,000.

"…Politicians love racinos because they can argue that these slots warehouses aren't really more gambling, just a different variety added to a place where people already gather to wager on horses or dogs. Gamblers love them because racetracks are typically closer than a trip to Atlantic City, Las Vegas or Connecticut.

"The industry, led by slots giant International Game Technology, has responded, adding 200,000 new machines just in the last few years, with plans for thousands more on the drawing board. Maryland, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, California, New York, Arizona, Maine, West Virginia and Florida are among the states that are adding slots or have recently considered a major expansion. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 19 states are looking at expanding gambling this year.

"…Meanwhile, a recent Supreme Court decision permitting electronic bingo games on Indian reservations in states where traditional slot machines are illegal is expected to encourage a further surge in growth…"

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