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Montana Gambling Revenue Drops

By Beacon Staff

HELENA – State revenue collections from video gambling machines and the lottery have dropped by 3 percent in the recently ended 2009 budget year.

Tax receipts from video gambling decreased by $1.4 million, to $62.05 million for the 2009 fiscal year that ended June 30. Montana’s Gambling Control Division says that’s down slightly more than 2 percent from the $63.42 million collected the previous year.

The figures mark the first year that video gambling tax collections have fallen over the past decade. In the other nine years, these tax receipts rose steadily by anywhere from 2.5 percent to 6.7 percent annually.

Montana Lottery profits dropped by 8 percent in fiscal 2009 — from $11.03 million the previous year to $10.14 million. Combined, state video gambling and lottery revenue dropped from $74.45 million in fiscal 2008 to $72.19 million in fiscal 2009.

Montana’s chief gambling regulator says he expects revenues to bounce back as the state’s economy improves.