OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A study by the Recreational Gambling Association released Wednesday estimates that Washington could gain up to $380 million per biennium in taxes by allowing “scratch-ticket” machines at non-tribal casinos.
Under current state law, electronic gaming machines are only permitted at tribal casinos. The association says that expanding the availability of what it calls electronic scratch machines could raise more than $150 million next year if the machines are installed at established banked card rooms around the state.
The group’s proposal includes installing 125 machines at each of 63 established card rooms and a 30 percent privilege tax on all winnings, to be collected by the state.
Some lawmakers in Olympia have expressed interest in pursuing this option as a way to bring in revenue to the state’s cash-strapped budget, but no bill has been filed yet.
