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Annual gaming win jumped 9 percent

Tuesday, Aug. 3, 1999 | 11:44 a.m.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa's racetracks and riverboat casinos won $794 million from gamblers in the year ending June 30, a 9 percent increase from the previous year.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission reported more than 20 million people visited gambling businesses, losing an average of $38 at casino table games or slot machines, the Des Moines Register reported.

Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona was the top performer among 12 state-regulated casinos, reporting 3.3 million customers lost $139 million, up 9 percent. The state last month approved a $15 million casino expansion at Prairie Meadows. It will add 336 slots, giving it 1,500.

Critics said the higher win numbers are bad news for losing gamblers.

"I'm sure we are going to see more families with problems and more bankruptcies," Robert Miller told the Register. He's president of the Truth About Gambling Foundation.

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