| Oregon At least $1,386,270 -- Includes 1992-96 lobbying expenditures and campaign contributions
June 9, 1997 Beaver State residents can wager their paychecks at Indian casinos, horse and dog tracks, off-track betting parlors, charitable bingo halls, and the state lottery, which is the only one in the country to offer gambling on professional sports (football only) -- no need for a bookie. State-sanctioned video poker in bars, taverns, and restaurants was approved by the 1991 Legislature, and its legality has since been upheld in court. Oregon maintains paper and disk versions of campaign contributions, but keeps only hard copy versions of lobbyist expenditure reports, charging 15 cents per page for copies. Mother Jones obtained selected lobbying reports and found a good chunk of change: Just eight big players spent over $1.3 million wheedling lawmakers over the last five years, with the annual totals skyrocketing in 1995 and 1996: In addition, a computer analysis of state elections data by the Western States Center shows that gambling interests, mostly racetrack owners and lottery contractors, gave at least $60,361 to Oregon candidates in the last three election cycles, from 1992 through 1996. The MoJo Wire has built a searchable database of these gaming contributions for you to explore:
Search $60,361 in Oregon Gambling Contributions | Web Exclusives: Heavy Betting Across State Lines Ea$y Money: The Documentary Fun Facts From the Magazine: Ea$y Money All Bets Are Off World Wide Wagering Hot!Media |
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