House rejects anti-touch tab bill

The House has voted overwhelmingly against HB 28 to ban the Idaho Lottery’s electronic touch-tab machines, killing it on an 18-52 vote. Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian, the bill’s sponsor, told the House that on a recent visit to a local tavern with other lawmakers, he observed a man continuously playing an electronic touch-tab machine. “He was gambling,” Harris said. “He had lost the innocence of the lottery.”

Harris argued that while the machines are legal, the Legislature still should ban them. “The Legislature has the ability at any time to change these statutes as it sees fit,” he said. “Who draws the line? Well, we do. … That’s our job. That’s what we do every day here, draw lines.”

Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, said, “This bill is not about gambling. This is about drawing the line because of the speed of a machine.” But he said the lottery’s own statistics show the machines don’t see heavy, rapid betting/ Betsy Russell , Eye on Boise. More here.