New York News

New York State Posts Record Revenues From Lottery And Slots

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published April 22, 2016 at 4:39 PM EDT

New Yorkers spent more on the state lottery and state-regulated electronic gaming machines than ever before last year, generating a record of almost $10 billion in revenue.

The state's Gaming Commission released the numbers on Friday. They cover the fiscal year that ended March 31.

Most of the $9.7 billion in revenue came from traditional lottery tickets and instant scratch-off games. Nearly $2 billion of it came from video lottery terminals, which are similar to electronic slot machines.

Gaming Commission Executive Director Robert Williams says the New York state lottery remains the most profitable lottery in North America.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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