Senate approves move to join multistate lottery

PAUL QUEARY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published Friday, March 8, 2002

OLYMPIA -- The Senate voted Thursday to let Washington join a multistate lottery that would bring the state $24 million this year to ease its budget crisis.

The idea -- originally proposed by Gov. Gary Locke -- is also included in the House version of the state's budget.

Sen. Lisa Brown, chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said the change would let the state capture some of the money that flows across the Oregon and Idaho borders when Washington residents play Powerball, a similar multistate game.

"Multistate games are already a part of the daily life of people in Washington," said Brown, D-Spokane. "I don't see it as adding anything new."

Washington would be the first Western state to join the Big Game. Other participating states include: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Virginia. Drawings are on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The jackpot for Friday's drawing is $30 million. In May 2000, two winners split a $363 million prize.

The bill passed 27-22, over loud objections from gambling opponents.

"We're trying to teach our kids to do right," said Sen. Bob Oke, R-Gig Harbor. "I just can't believe that we're going to encourage people to go out and gamble more. This is a bunch of manure. Let's say no."

Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, called the Big Game "The Big Rip-Off." The odds of winning the jackpot are more than 76 million-to-1.

"You have the same chance of winning whether you buy a ticket or not," Sheldon said.

A lesser evil

But the demands of the state's budget spoke more loudly. The Big Game would be a rare bright light in a budget picture darkened by declining revenue and deep cuts. Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park, normally an opponent of gambling, said it was better than another $24 million in cuts.

"This is -- I hate to say it -- the least of the evils that we could have chosen," Fairley said.

On the Web:

- Senate Ways & Means: 2002 Supplemental Budget Proposals

- Senate Ways & Means Fiscal Updates 2002

- Washington State Legislature

- Washington State Treasurer

- Gov. Gary Locke

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