Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Gambling in Idaho: From legal slots of the ‘40s to today’s Idaho Lottery touch-screen machines…

This photo taken Thursday, March 5, 2015, shows an Idaho Lottery Play Center machine, left, and two Idaho Lottery TouchTab machines in the age-controlled lounge area at 20th Century Lanes in Boise, Idaho. (AP / Otto Kitsinger)
By Betsy Z. Russell betsyr@spokesman.com(208) 336-2854
This photo taken Thursday, March 5, 2015, shows an Idaho Lottery Play Center machine, left, and two Idaho Lottery TouchTab machines in the age-controlled lounge area at 20th Century Lanes in Boise, Idaho. (AP / Otto Kitsinger)
This photo taken Thursday, March 5, 2015, shows an Idaho Lottery Play Center machine, left, and two Idaho Lottery TouchTab machines in the age-controlled lounge area at 20th Century Lanes in Boise, Idaho. (AP / Otto Kitsinger)

Gambling in Idaho has evolved from legal slot machines in the 1940s and ‘50s to a state lottery, tribal gambing, and this year’s fight over “instant racing” machines at race tracks. The AP takes a look at that evolution in an article by reporter Kimberlee Kruesi, including the newest thing: The Idaho Lottery has quietly rolled out its own touch-screen machines. The machines mimic classic pull-tab lotto tickets but are paperless and can be played instantly; they’re proving to be highly lucrative. You can read Kruesi’s full article here .

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Eye On Boise." Read all stories from this blog