Slot-style games boost lottery revenue

Monday, July 18, 2005 | 9:47 a.m.

SALEM, Ore. -- State lottery revenue jumped by 20 percent after slot-type games were added to video gambling machines in bars and taverns over the past two months.

Lottery Director Dale Penn said Friday the lottery's goal is an income increase of 17 percent for the two-year budget period that began July 1, so the early numbers are a good sign.

Penn said he's also pleased that 82 percent so far of the 2,000 establishments with video poker have chosen to add slot games to their machines.

The state Lottery Commission, at Gov. Ted Kulongoski's request, in March authorized adding slot games to the lucrative video poker terminals that provide more than 80 percent of the lottery's income.

Lottery revenue from video games -- after prizes were paid -- from June 5 to July 9 was up by 20 percent from the same period a year ago. Budget forecasters predicted slot games would boost revenue by about 12 percent, Penn said, on top of an expected 5 percent overall growth rate.