PORTLAND — The Oregon Lottery is beginning an aggressive campaign to upgrade video lottery machines and bring in more players, even as research suggests that a relatively small group of problem gamblers supply a huge portion of lottery revenue.
The Oregonian reports (http://bit.ly/1bLgtuB) that consultants found the biggest chunk of video lottery players park in front of a machine and gamble alone until all their money is gone.
The lottery raises revenue for schools, parks, business development and other programs. Critics say the government is fostering gambling addiction in order to pay its bills.
Lottery Director Larry Niswender defended the lottery’s practices and denied that the agency targets problem gamblers. He also disputed data showing that an outsize share of lottery revenue comes from a small group of players.
