Summary: Total contributions from gambling interests to federal candidates and national party committees rose from $1.1 million in 1992, a presidential election year, to $5.7 million in 1998, a midterm election year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics--an independent research organization that GAO contracted with. This represents an increase of about 400 percent. During this same period, overall election campaign receipts in hard money to congressional candidates and in soft money to national party committees rose about 40 percent, according to Federal Election Commission information. The data GAO obtained on contributions from the gambling industry are likely to be conservative, primarily because (1) specific sources of contributions from individuals that total less than $200 in a year are not identified, (2) contributions from some corporations and groups that may be associated with the gambling industry may not be included in the Center's analysis if the main source of their revenue is from another industry, (3) the industry or interest associated with some contributions could not be identified, and (4) contributions from the gambling industry to state and local party committees are omitted.
