Members of Citizens Against Gambling Expansion are "troubled that big-time gambling interests are in our state Capitol cynically telling lawmakers that more gambling will provide an easy answer to the state's budget problems," said King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng, co-chairman of the group with former Democratic Gov. Booth Gardner.

"Well, there are no easy answers ... especially when it comes to gambling," said Maleng, a Republican, at a Friday news conference.

"Study after study has shown that more gambling leads to higher levels of child neglect, child abuse, domestic violence, bankruptcy, debt, unemployment, homelessness, suicide and crime," he said, and expansion would cost the state and its communities "far more than it would ever be worth."

Former Gov. Mike Lowry was among the dozen or so current and former state and local officials who attended the news conference. Not in attendance but lending their names to the effort were former Govs. Albert Rosellini, a Democrat, and Republicans Dan Evans and John Spellman.

Washington is one of several cash-strapped states -- including Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska and North Dakota -- that are at least looking at gambling as an option to bring in more money without raising taxes.

Jeff Kemp of the nonprofit Families Northwest said low-income people are generally the most vulnerable to the temptations of gambling. Trying to fill the state's $2.4 billion budget hole through expanded gambling would "suck the life" out of many struggling families, he said.

On Thursday, Democratic lawmakers said they had enough votes to prevent Senate approval of any gambling expansion, which under the state constitution must be approved by a 60 percent majority in both chambers.

Maleng said that was "very encouraging," but added that many measures declared dead in Olympia are revived in the last 48 hours of the session. The effort to expand nontribal gambling also could be the subject of an initiative campaign, he said.

Phil Talmadge, a former Democratic state senator and state Supreme Court justice, noted that the revenue forecast for the next budget year has not yet been presented to the Legislature, making the Democrats' assurances premature.

The House measure to allow 19,000 video-slot machines at nontribal businesses was signed by "a lot of heavyweights," Gardner said.

A coalition of nontribal minicasinos, restaurants, taverns, bars, bowling alleys and charitable bingo operations is pushing the measure, backed by the Entertainment Industry Coalition. Supporters contend that the growth of machine gambling at tribal casinos has cut deeply into the market for bingo and the pull-tabs used to bring customers into bars, taverns and bowling alleys.

Surveys show a majority of Washingtonians don't want more gambling in the state, Maleng said.

A coalition news release also cited a proposal to create a state-owned electronic gambling system for video slots and keno booths. That idea has not yet been submitted to the Legislature.

"Either proposal would effectively result in hundreds or even thousands of new casinos and gambling outlets across the state," the release said.

"By getting into bed with big-time gambling interests, state government would be giving up its role as the watchdog and become a full business partner with the gambling industry," Maleng said.

"Everyone knows that the goal of gambling is to bilk people out of as much money as possible -- to promise people riches while draining their bank accounts. Is this how our state wants to raise revenues? By hoodwinking the working men and women of our state out of their hard-earned wages?" he asked.

"Expanded gambling is a gimmick with hidden consequences and costs," Gardner said. "It is not a solution to our state's fiscal problems. Finding solutions is hard work and requires time, creativity and compromise from our leaders."

------

On the 'Net:

Citizens Against Gambling Expansion, www.nomoregambling.org

Families Northwest, www.familiesnorthwest.org