With seven of the state's 14 authorized casinos open, slots gambling hasn't hurt state lottery sales, at least not yet, state Revenue Secretary Stephen Stetler told a legislative panel yesterday.

"Overall, lottery ticket sales remain steady at about 1 percent higher compared to last fiscal year," he said. That's better than in many states, because lottery sales are down 2 percent nationwide.

For the first eight months of fiscal 2008-09 (through the end of February), lottery sales were $2.044 billion, or $27.3 million more than the first eight months of the previous fiscal year.

From time to time, some critics of expanded gambling claim slots will divert revenue away from the lottery, which pays for services to senior citizens, such as discounts on drugs and transportation.

Mr. Stetler said such damage hasn't happened yet.

"Since the first casino opened in November 2006, lottery sales have remained steady," he said, even though "many people have unfairly concluded that slots are affecting lottery sales."

From 2007 to 2008, he said, lottery sales increased in 37 of the state's 67 counties and declined in the other 30 counties.

Two of the seven counties that now have casinos -- Washington (The Meadows) and Delaware (Harrah's Chester casino) had lottery sale increases from 2007 to 2008, he said. The other five casino host counties had lottery sale decreases.

Two new casinos will open this year -- in Bethlehem in May and Pittsburgh in August -- and two expanded casinos will open at The Meadows this month and Philadelphia Park in December.