Oregon senators move to expand gambling

Brad Cain

Monday, Aug. 25, 2003 | 11:46 a.m.

SALEM, Ore. -- In a move to ease the state's budget problems, the Oregon Senate voted Saturday to allow Oregon Lottery retailers to add a sixth video poker machine.

The measure, if it becomes law, would bring in an additional $22 million in lottery profits for the state in the next two years.

Further, a key lawmaker said Saturday that the Legislature is counting on the Lottery Commission to bring in another $45 million in profits by expanding its electronic game offerings.

With no debate, the Senate voted 18-9 to advance a bill to allow bars and taverns to add a sixth video poker machine -- they now are limited to five in a single location -- and to let racetracks have 10 machines.

House Bill 3159, which now returns to the House for action on amendments, is silent about expansion of the lottery into other electronic games, though.

For years, the Lottery Commission has made no secret of its desire to add slot machine-style games to its video poker terminals.

Sen. Kurt Schrader, co-chairman of the Legislature's budget panel, noted Saturday that the commission could do that on its own without authorization from the Legislature.

The change would require only a reprogramming of the existing 9,000 video poker terminals in 1,900 bars and taverns around the state.

"The Lottery Commission needs to step up" and approve the change as a way to provide more revenue for schools and other programs, the Canby Democrat said.

However, Gov. Ted Kulongoski has said that if lawmakers want the Lottery Commission to offer video slot games, they should pass a bill to make it clear that that's their intent.

During last year's governor's race, Kulongoski took a stand against expanding Lottery offerings and said he wished the state could become less dependent on the Lottery.

This year, however, Kulongoski has indicated his willingness to rethink that opposition and to allow for slot-style games because of the state's worsening budget picture.

Since its beginnings as a simple scratch-off ticket operation in 1985, the Lottery has grown a business that now makes about $350 million a year for the state, most of it from video poker.