ALBANY – If you had a bad year playing the lottery last year, you’re not alone. The state didn’t do very well either.
Revenue from the New York Lottery and its nine racetracks with video-lottery terminals fell 19% in 2020 from 2019, according to data obtained by the USA TODAY Network New York through a Freedom of Information request.
The drop was in part because the racinos were closed from March through September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because traditional lottery games, such as Powerball, Mega Millions and Quick Draw, also saw revenue plummet.
Overall, revenue from the lottery games and the racinos nosedived from $10.1 billion in 2019 to $8.2 billion in 2020, the first time in recent history that the largest lottery in the nation had a demonstrable loss.
The state’s four upstate casinos, which were also closed much of the year, fared even worse: They ended up down a whopping 58% in gross gaming revenue.
The nearly $2 billion drop in revenue adds to the state’s fiscal troubles. The money is used to help fund education.
New York has a $15 billion budget gap over the next two years, but most of that will be covered by $12.6 billion in federal aid to the state through the latest stimulus package approved by Congress this week.
“The global pandemic disrupted businesses in every sector of the economy, including casinos where lottery sales are made,” said Brad Maione, spokesman for the state Gaming Commission.
“While these casinos were closed for a period to keep…
