Lawmakers wanting to reform the Oregon Lottery to do things like limit how much time players may sit at a machine or to label places were lotteries are played as “casinos,” are being forced to ramp back their ambitions.
Two bills are likely to be passed by the legislature. One would collect and chart socioeconomic data near lottery locations. This could eventually lead to laws limiting where the machines may be placed and how long players can play them.
Legislators like Rep. Bill Kennemer, who calls the lottery a “poor tax,” found to his chagrin that his colleagues didn’t want to do anything to increase that “tax” revenue. Kennemer doesn’t like the state enabling problem gamblers, but knows that lottery revenue is a good source of revenue for the restaurants and bars that have them.
The state collects about $1 billion in lottery revenues during each two-year budget. But studies show that most of that comes from a relatively small percentage of the population.
Kennemer lamented last week to the Oregonian, “I feel positive about the need for significant reform. But that’s not the general view in the Legislature. Frankly, that’s because it brings in so blooming much money.”
