David challenges Keno-to-Go
August 22 ,2008
Northampton council sets more talk on
Keno-to-Go
By Chad Cain, Daily Hampshire Gazette
By Chad Cain, Daily Hampshire Gazette
NORTHAMPTON - The City Council wasn't quite ready
to gamble on the state's new Keno-to-Go game
Thursday night, but councilors will discuss the
issue further and take comments from the public at
their Sept. 4 meeting.
After listening to a presentation from Massachusetts Lottery Commission spokesman Dan Rosenfeld - including the beginnings of a spirited debate with Ward 4 Councilor David J. Narkewicz about the effectiveness of the lottery system in general - the council decided to reconsider the issue in two weeks.
Narkewicz, who made the successful April motion to not allow agents in the city to sell the game, objects to the game and to the lottery in general. He called the lottery poor public policy, criticized the formula used to distribute money to cities and towns, and noted that gambling has tremendous social costs.
"If I could vote to eliminate the lottery, I'd do it," Narkewicz said.
In April, Northampton became one of five communities in the state to opt out of the Lottery Commission's new Keno-to-Go game. City Council President James M. Dostal reintroduced the issue after hearing from many merchants. One of them asked the council to take another vote.
"We are losing business to all the other surrounding towns," said Gaurang Patel of Bird's Store in Florence.
Many Bird's customers don't want to go to a bar to play Keno and have asked if they can buy the Keno-to-Go game there, Patel said.
There also is financial incentive for Patel to want to sell the game. Rosenfeld said agents, who typically make about $40,000 a year from lottery sales, would boost that total by an additional $900 a year, on average, with Keno-to-Go.
Of the 28 merchants in Northampton who sell lottery games at their establishments, four are authorized to sell Keno. The remaining 24 would be eligible to add the new game.
Keno-to-Go was introduced as a way to generate additional lottery revenue, the profits of which are distributed to cities and towns through a formula determined by the state Legislature. Narkewicz and others were critical of the way the money is doled out. The city generated about $15 million in lottery sales last year, and it received $4.89 million in lottery aid. Amherst, by comparison, raised $4.9 million in lottery sales and received $9.6 million in lottery aid last fiscal year, Narkewicz said.
Rosenfeld pointed out that the Lottery Commission is responsible for raising the total amount of money the lottery generates through its lottery. The bigger the pot, the likelihood that towns would receive more money, he reasoned, but also acknowledged that's a promise that can't be guaranteed because of the distribution formula.
After listening to a presentation from Massachusetts Lottery Commission spokesman Dan Rosenfeld - including the beginnings of a spirited debate with Ward 4 Councilor David J. Narkewicz about the effectiveness of the lottery system in general - the council decided to reconsider the issue in two weeks.
Narkewicz, who made the successful April motion to not allow agents in the city to sell the game, objects to the game and to the lottery in general. He called the lottery poor public policy, criticized the formula used to distribute money to cities and towns, and noted that gambling has tremendous social costs.
"If I could vote to eliminate the lottery, I'd do it," Narkewicz said.
In April, Northampton became one of five communities in the state to opt out of the Lottery Commission's new Keno-to-Go game. City Council President James M. Dostal reintroduced the issue after hearing from many merchants. One of them asked the council to take another vote.
"We are losing business to all the other surrounding towns," said Gaurang Patel of Bird's Store in Florence.
Many Bird's customers don't want to go to a bar to play Keno and have asked if they can buy the Keno-to-Go game there, Patel said.
There also is financial incentive for Patel to want to sell the game. Rosenfeld said agents, who typically make about $40,000 a year from lottery sales, would boost that total by an additional $900 a year, on average, with Keno-to-Go.
Of the 28 merchants in Northampton who sell lottery games at their establishments, four are authorized to sell Keno. The remaining 24 would be eligible to add the new game.
Keno-to-Go was introduced as a way to generate additional lottery revenue, the profits of which are distributed to cities and towns through a formula determined by the state Legislature. Narkewicz and others were critical of the way the money is doled out. The city generated about $15 million in lottery sales last year, and it received $4.89 million in lottery aid. Amherst, by comparison, raised $4.9 million in lottery sales and received $9.6 million in lottery aid last fiscal year, Narkewicz said.
Rosenfeld pointed out that the Lottery Commission is responsible for raising the total amount of money the lottery generates through its lottery. The bigger the pot, the likelihood that towns would receive more money, he reasoned, but also acknowledged that's a promise that can't be guaranteed because of the distribution formula.