Casino Growth Tests Florida Lottery's Luck

FORT LAUDERDALE - The Florida Lottery turns 20 this year, a milestone that is marked by stiffer competition for players' gambling dollars.

About 1,000 Vegas-style slot machines were recently installed in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. The tribe plans to add up to 15,000 machines statewide, and could open blackjack and baccarat tables in the coming months.

Voters in Miami-Dade County on Jan. 29 approved slot machines at pari-mutuel sites, which will bring more gambling competition to the region.

"We don't yet have a feel for what kind of impact that will have," said Dennis Harmon, the lottery's deputy secretary.

Lottery sales grew last year, but the 3 percent gain was slower than the 12 percent overall annual increase in each of the previous five years.

Scratch-off tickets remain top sellers in northern and central parts of the state, while Lotto and Fantasy 5 games are popular in South Florida.

Although a state study found no definitive signs that Vegas-style slot machines in pari-mutuels - which have been in Broward County since late 2006 - seriously hurt lottery sales, officials are wary of more competition for gamblers' money.

Each form of gambling has its own proponents and detractors.

Adrian Catarzi stopped for gas near Lake Okeechobee 19 years ago and won $65,000 after a clerk mistakenly handed him a Fantasy 5 stub instead of a Lotto ticket.

He still plays the lottery every week, but won't set foot inside a casino.

"Heavens, no," the 65-year-old Pembroke Pines resident said. "To me, that's really gambling. Playing the lottery is just taking a chance."

It's a gamble that Gerry Fredella of Boca Raton only takes when the jackpots reach the multimillion-dollar range.

"I have a better chance of being killed on I-95," he said. Instead, he prefers to watch horse races and play the slots at the Isle of Capri Casino in Pompano Beach.

Fewer players could hurt the Lotto even more, which bases jackpots on sales. Payouts increase when no one gets all six numbers in the twice-weekly drawings.

"We keep pushing and trying, in a responsible way, to keep the lottery brand in front of people and keep the games fresh and have something that's fun," Harmon said.