At least $13,587,497 -- Includes 1992-96 campaign contributions and lobbying expenses

• Search California gambling contributions from 1992-96

June 9, 1997

The Golden State has Indian casinos, lavish card clubs, lotteries, racetrack betting -- and a population of 32 million, making the state a jackpot for gaming companies. Gambling interests from all over the country have dumped almost $14 million into state politics in the past five years, effectively quashing any efforts to enact state regulation.

California now has the sixth-highest amount of wagering in the country, which has Nevada casinos worried: More venues in California would keep Golden State gamblers away from Vegas and Reno. So Nevada interests have kept a close eye on the California Legislature's fights over gambling, and they've sent California lawmakers plenty of money. Circus Circus Enterprises Inc., for one, has spent more than $800,000 on contributions and lobbying in California in the past five years.

Gambling measures haven't made it to the ballot since 1984, when Proposition 37 legalized the state lottery. But casino developers may be making some headway in Palm Springs: In 1995, developer Mark Bragg, a former adviser to Ronald Reagan, and the ever-present Eddie DeBartolo Jr. teamed up to pass a measure which approved card clubs at three sites: two controlled by Bragg, and the third at DeBartolo's Desert Fashion Plaza mall. Bragg subsequently tried to gather enough signatures to place an initiative on the November 1996 ballot that would have legalized slot machines at -- you guessed it -- the same three locations.

Although that effort failed to gather enough signatures, Bragg is poised to try again for the June 1998 ballot. Even more interesting, just this past Wednesday, Secretary of State Bill Jones gave the California Gaming Control Committee the go-ahead to begin circulating a new petition. This measure would amend the constitution to permit California voters to approve casino-style gambling (i.e. slots). And, coincidentally enough, it would change statutes in -- where else? -- Palm Springs to authorize slot machines without local voter approval.

Mother Jones searched campaign finance data from 1992-96 through Legi-Tech, a commercial database service, and found a cool $13,587,497 in gambling-related contributions to candidates for California state office. The MoJo Wire presents them here as our largest searchable database. To see which high rollers are giving money to which California politicians, just plug in the names, or browse the entire list for the big picture.

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