Proposed Ban on Casino Lobbyists Defeated in New York State

Albany, N.Y. (Associated Press) - As New York moves to expand gambling, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders have quietly deleted a proposed ban on accepting campaign contributions from casino operators vying for one of New York's four proposed casinos.

Cuomo had proposed the measure months ago, saying he wanted nothing to do with a mix of politics and gambling that has resulted in some of Albany's biggest corruption scandals.

But the bill negotiated by Cuomo and legislative leaders and passed Friday night won't prohibit campaign contributions from gambling interests.

Just last week, Common Cause of New York reported that in the past two years alone the gambling industry spent more than $2 million on campaign contributions in Albany and another $14 million on lobbying.