Oregon Lottery officials have reported a significant decline in gambling across the state this year. In an effort to counteract the slump, Oregonians will find new slot machines and video poker games installed in their local bars and taverns. The new games include nine new slot machine variations and three new styles of video poker.
Already, 400 new video gambling terminals have been installed in bars and taverns throughout Oregon with the purpose of boosting player interest. Another 2,100 of the newly designed slot machines and video poker machines are set to be installed amongst retail establishments, replacing many of the old-style video gambling machines say Lottery Director Dale Penn.
Portland gambling enthusiasts have not been visiting their local pubs as often, even with the increasing difficulties in making a casino deposit online, and those who are making the trip out to nonsmoking bars in this less than desirable economy, simply aren’t spending the same amount on video gambling as they have in the past. Two obvious reasons for the slump are the economy, of course – reports show that lottery sales are down all across the country, not just Oregon – and a state-wide smoking ban within drinking establishments that took effect January 1.
Just a day before Penn’s announcement to install more new video terminals, economists revealed that the state’s lottery sales are expected to drop $43 million from the originally projected revenue. Dale Penn believes that the new slots, which came with a $30 million price tag, will bring players back to the terminals and drive revenue back toward the projected sales.
The state has spent a lot of time in recent months trying to resolve the issue of declining lottery sales. Just last month, Oregon Lottery officials proposed a plan to decrease the commission rate earned by bars and taverns.
This would be the sixth decline in lottery commissions since video gambling machines were first installed in 1992. At that time, bars and taverns raked in $0.35 on the dollar from all lottery sales. That number is now down to $0.23, likely to drop once more in the near future.
The Oregon Lottery is responsible for much of the state’s government program funding, including over $1 billion in educational revenue each year. However, veteran social services advocate Ellen Lowe does not agree with Penn’s resolution. Lowe says that such programs should be funded by tax dollars, not Oregonians losing money on slot machines.
Comments
Everything that comes after a smoking ban is merely a bandaide. Will anyone ever learn? This is happening in state after state except for the ones that don't have smoking bans.
Yes, the Lottery is now down $72 M with play losses and now this crazy investment into new games & machines. Every state that has enacted an all inclusive smoking ban is losing revenue.
Bars are adult only venues and the owner should decide to be smoking or non smoking. Our state official are so stupid they will just keep losing money and spending money to try to re-coup money. A real Catch-22.
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