Ka-ching! Lobbyists have hit the jackpot with the campaign to expand casino gambling in New York.
Gambling interests have spent more than $2.5 million on lobbying over the past year — with the lion’s share coming from firms representing the state’s nine track racinos, including Resorts World, which just opened at Aqueduct in Queens, records reviewed by The Post show.
And the amount paid for lobbying services could easily double next year as the racinos launch a campaign to persuade the state Legislature to revise the state Constitution to permit Vegas-style casinos, while others oppose it.
The New York Gaming Association, the newly formed advocacy group representing the nine racinos, will spend $1 million next year to ramp up its pro-casino campaign, said its president, James Featherstonhaugh.
The association just hired political and media strategist Jennifer Cunnigham of Knickerbocker SKD to help lead the initiative. She helped coordinate the successful campaign to legalize gay marriage in New York.
“The Gaming Association will be make a substantial, major effort to legalize full-fledged casinos at the tracks. We are committed to taking our case to the public in a fulsome way,” Featherstonhaugh said.
Genting, the deep-pocketed Malaysian gambling and resort firm operating Resorts World, has already emerged as the lobbyist’s best friend in Albany.
It has hired four of Albany’s most powerful lobbying firms to push its interests in the state capital. They are firms headed by Patricia Lynch, who is a former top aide to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, ex-Republican state Sen. Nick Spano, ex-state Senate staffer John Cordo and racing maven Brian Meara.
Genting is paying the four firms a combined $1 million.
Under current law, the racinos are barred from offering live table games, like blackjack and poker, that involve a human dealer. Offerings are limited to video lottery terminals and electronic games.
Racinos want the right to add live table games, which they say will keep more gambling dollars in New York and boost revenues by one-third.
Aside from Genting, eight of the state’s other racino interests kicked in another $1 million combined to lobbyists.
Delaware North, which runs two tracks and racinos in the upstate Finger Lakes region, paid $360,000 to three lobbying firms, including Lynch’s and Meara’s.
Yonkers Raceway and Casino paid $270,000 for lobbying services.
The horse-racing industry also has its stable of lobbyists. The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association pays Featherstonhaugh $108,000 to represent its interests.
Currently, upstate tribal casinos are the only ones allowed to offer live table games. The Seneca and Oneida nations paid about $200,000 to lobbyists.
Concerned that the expansion of gambling will hurt its casinos, the tribes are expected to beef up lobbying efforts to block it.