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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 21, 2016 11:47 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Nick Kotik |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Keno |
| In the next few days, I will be introducing legislation that will authorize the PA lottery to offer Keno in licensed liquor establishments and non-profit organizations throughout Pennsylvania. As you may know, Keno is categorized as a terminal-based lottery game that is run similar to Match 6 and Cash 5, except that it is played more frequently, with numbers picked randomly at a minimum of every four minutes. It is a game of chance using 80 numbers in which 20 random numbers are drawn. Players may win cash prizes based on how many numbers they match. Currently authorized in 16 states, including all of Pennsylvania’s surrounding states except New Jersey, Keno games have generated significant revenues for those out-of-state liquor establishments that offer the game and for each state’s Lottery funded programs. With that in mind, I believe Keno is a much needed source of revenue which could be used to help sustain the senior programs that are currently funded by a diminishing Lottery fund, better enable our local clubs, bars and taverns to increase their revenues and support their local economies while also helping to fill our Budget deficit. Authorization of the game in Pennsylvania is a win/win/win. In my legislation, Keno would be phased in by allowing a maximum number of 1,000 Keno terminals throughout the state, which would increase in increments each year until the program reached 3,000 Keno terminals in year 5. Based on the success of Keno in surrounding states, Keno revenues in Pennsylvania each year are estimated to be: Year Terminal Keno Projections PA State Tax Profit Projection Year 1 1,000 $ 93.5 – 230 Million $ 20 – 54 Million Year 2 1,500 $ 193 – 354 Million $ 41 – 81 Million Year 3 2,000 $ 248 – 496 Million $ 53 – 114 Million Year 4 2,500 $ 306.8 – 650 Million $ 66 – 150 Million Year 5 3,000 $ 368.7 – 820 Million $ 79 – 188 Million This legislation is projected to generate between $93-230 million in the first year with a limited rollout. This means that state revenue is projected to be between $20-54 million in the first year. By the fifth year of Keno being phased into use in Pennsylvania, it has been estimated that it will generate between $79-188 million per year for the state. I hope you will join me in supporting this legislation that will help our local clubs and bars while generating more funding for the Lottery programs that benefit Pennsylvania’s senior citizens. |
Introduced as HB2349