Surging Mega Millions, Powerball revenues will power 'racino

							      Surging Mega Millions, Powerball revenues will power
        'racino' expansion and back education programs

By Kathy Kmonicek                                    into Lottery coffers, which uses the cash for
August 1, 2011                                       state education programs.
                                                          Lottery Director Gordon Medenica pegs
                                                     the state profits more conservatively at $250
ALBANY - The state Lottery is rebounding in million a year.
2011 after years of flat revenues - a jump that's
expected to accelerate when the Aqueduct                  Still, revenues at the state's eight existing
racino opens later this year.                        racinos are up 8.4% this year, with the parlor at
                                                     Yonkers Raceway netting the state $322.2 mil-
     Lottery growth the first six months of this lion.
year surged 3% - with another $1 million per
day expected to flow in once the Aqueduct gam-            For the first time the racinos are hurting the
ing parlor is up and running.                        sales of scratch tickets, Medenica said. Sales of
                                                     the instant games are down 2%.
     "We're pleased with the numbers for the
first half of the year," said Lottery division            The instant games still make up half the to-
spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman.                         tal traditional Lottery game sales. Traditional
                                                     Lottery games, which had been hit by the eco-
     Hapeman credited the growing popularity nomic recession the past two years, are up 2%.
of the state's eight existing racinos for the uptick
in cash flowing into the state's coffers - "a             Mega Millions (up 21%) and Powerball (up
growth trend we expect will mushroom" when 14%) have never been more popular, while
Aqueduct debuts.                                     Lotto (down 15%) and Sweet Million (down
                                                     21%) are shriveling.
     The first phase of the Queens racino is
slated to open in October with 2,500 video slot           Lottery officials say the most surprising
machines and 200 seats divided among three or        surge has come in the keno-like Quick Draw
four types of electronic table games.                game offered at bars, restaurants and bowling
                                                     alleys.
     Computerized craps, roulette and likely
baccarat are expected to be among the options.            After tinkering with its presentation and
The Lottery has also begun testing a virtual dice    expanding the game's hours, Quick Draw sales
game.                                                jumped by 18% - or $37.6 million. New York
                                                     leads all states in gambling-related revenues,
     By the end of the year, more than 4,500 a new Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Gov-
video slots and 475 seats for table games should ernment report states.
be available.
     Racino spokesman Stefan Friedman says
the gaming parlor will route $300 million a year




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