The Idaho State Lottery would lose its exemption from the state’s contracting laws if a proposed bill is passed.
Rep. Tom Loertscher, chairman of the House State Affairs Committee has introduced a bill to address an issue that he says has troubled him since he learned of it. The representative said he wanted to prevent the Lottery from asking vendors how they would offer games such as Keno and simulated racing that are illegal under the state constitution.
His bill would require the Lottery to follow state laws in major procurement projects.
In a separate but related development, racing groups that are trying to save their industry in Idaho are focused on trying to convince the state racing commission to allow a particularly profitable type of betting terminal at racetracks.
The terminals they are hoping to introduce are known as instant racing terminals, also known as historical racing machines. They allow betting on historical races where identifying information has been stripped and only the statistics remain.
They attract people who like slot machines because they should and look like them, but are completely driven by the legal pari-mutuel betting system. Previously the legislature, under pressure from the state’s gaming tribes, approved of a ban on the machines. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter vetoed the bill, but didn’t do it without the time allowed, so the bill became law.
Tracks argue that they can’t operate without the machines, so they are trying to convince the commission that it has the right within existing statute to authorize the machines. They note that the commission approved something called virtual horse racing in 2008 through administrative rules.
The rules, although carrying the force of law, eventually require approval by the legislature, which is a battle the racetracks would like to try to win again.
The commission, after hearing the presentation, took no action last week. Commissioner Fred Snook commented, “I am hopeful we can reach a middle ground with the Legislature. We haven’t had much communication. The main purpose of today’s meeting was to get started on that plan.”
