Rhode Island Lottery Pushes for Keno at the T.F. Green Airport
The Rhode Island Lottery proposed putting Keno machines in shops and pubs at the T.F. Green Airport to boost state profits. The Rhode Island Lottery, which already placed Powerball and scratch ticket booths in Rhode Island’s main airport, said that placing Keno games in the airport is a sensible thing to do.Travelers can play the game while waiting for their flights. Lottery Director, Gerald S. Aubin, said that they are continuously recruiting dealers because it is a common business venture. Keno is also a good way to raise the money that the state needs.
Rhode Island Airport Corporation Spokesperson, Patti Goldstein, said that they are still studying the proposal and have not yet decided on whether or not they will allow Keno in the airport after their $83 million airport expansion.
Rhode Island Airport Corporation President and CEO, Mark Brewer, will have the final decision on whether or not to allow Keno in the airport. But in a board meeting, some members voiced out their criticism of the Keno plans, saying that they do not want the visitors in Rhode Island to immediately see the gambling machines at the airport.
The Board Chairwoman and Miriam Hospital President, Dr. Kathleen Hittner, commented that she is not against the plans because it will give passengers something to amuse themselves with while waiting for their flight. There are more than 600 Keno booths in the states, a number of these machines can be found in bars and pubs.
Keno regulations state that players may pick 1 to 10 numbers from 1 to 80 and wait to see if they will be selected by the computer. All Keno retailers have a monitor that shows the winning numbers every 4 minutes. Players can win from $100,000 to $1,000,000 by utilizing the Keno Plus options.
Minimum wagers in the game start at $1. Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Georgia and Michigan are the few states that offer Keno.
When the Rhode Island Lottery proposed selling Powerball and scratch ticket booths years ago, Aubin said that there was little criticism from the Airport Corporation or any organization. However, Mayor Scott Avedisian of Warwick called the proposal a terrible idea.
Aubin said that for every ticket sold, the retailers will earn $0.08. In the Airport Corporation’s case, the profits may be divided between the RIAC and the organization that operated the restaurant and pub.