| New York At least $1,701,053 -- Includes 1995-96 lobbying June 9, 1997 New York already has an Indian casino, lotteries, charitable bingo, horse racing, and abundant off-track betting parlors, but too much is never enough: This year private interests tried to legalize casinos with an amendment to the state constitution. Though they plied the capital with lobbying cash, they were met with an unlikely alliance of anti-gambling forces made up of religious groups, New York City hotels and Broadway theaters, and gaming competitors, including racetracks and New Jersey casino baron Donald Trump. The state Senate killed the measure in January, thanks in part to Trump's massive lobbying outlay of more than $270,000 from January through September 1996 alone. When it comes to money in politics, a sort of institutional schizophrenia afflicts Albany's records policy: Campaign finance records are only available on paper for a hefty 25 cents a page, yet the state's Web site has easily searchable lobbying reports online, with complete financial disclosure. We crunched the numbers from 1995 through September 1996, and found that "Racing and Wagering" interests spent in excess of $1.7 million wining and dining Empire State politicians in less than two years: | Contributor | Year* | Campaign | Amount | | Buffalo Raceway | 96 | Lobby | $ 32,240 | | Trump Taj Mahal | 96 | Lobby | $ 270,000 | | Monticello Raceway | 96 | Lobby | $ 5,000 | | Catskill Resort Association | 96 | Lobby | $ 51,251 | | Yonkers Raceway | 96 | Lobby | $ 115,000 | | Nassau Regional OTB Corp. | 96 | Lobby | $ 15,280 | | Western Regional OTB Corp. | 96 | Lobby | $ 27,600 | | Catskill Regional OTB Corp. | 96 | Lobby | $ 20,400 | | Capital District Regional OTB Corp. | 96 | Lobby | $ 9,186 | | Association of OTB Corps. | 96 | Lobby | $ 120,000 | | Western Regional OTB Corp. | 95 | Lobby | $ 9,000 | | Catskill Regional OTB Corp. | 95 | Lobby | $ 30,000 | | Association of OTB Corps. | 95 | Lobby | $ 80,000 | | Nassau Regional OTB Corp. | 95 | Lobby | $ 32,000 | | Capital District Regional OTB Corp. | 95 | Lobby | $ 12,176 | | Saratoga Harness Racing | 96 | Lobby | $ 42,269 | | Trump Castle Casino | 95 | Lobby | $ 22,000 | | Oneida Indian Nation of NY | 96 | Lobby | $ 51,528 | | Oneida Tribe of WI | 95 | Lobby | $ 8,900 | | Oneida Tribe of WI | 96 | Lobby | $ 82,000 | | Yonkers Raceway | 95 | Lobby | $ 50,000 | | GTECH | 96 | Lobby | $ 91,000 | | GTECH | 95 | Lobby | $ 73,000 | | Thoroughbred Breeders Association | 95 | Lobby | $ 52,500 | | Empire State Thoroughbred Breeders Association | 95 | Lobby | $ 20,000 | | Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association | 96 | Lobby | $ 62,500 | | Thoroughbred Breeders Inc. | 96 | Lobby | $ 52,500 | | Genesee-Monroe Racing Association | 95 | Lobby | 60381 | | Racing Association (NYS) | 95 | Lobby | $ 31,342 | | Racing Association (NYS) | 96 | Lobby | $ 130,000 | | Scientific Games | 96 | Lobby | $ 42,000 | | TOTAL: | | | $1,701,053 | *all 1996 figures as of 9/30/96 Source: New York Secretary of State | 
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