It turns out there is at least one growth industry in Pennsylvania.

Gambling.

The legal kind.

State officials report that the lottery, as well as the state’s new slots casinos, are booming.

You would think that with money tight, one of the first things to go would be spending on things such as gambling. Not so, apparently.

Maybe the thinking is just the opposite, that with the economy in shambles, maybe this is the time to let it roll on a chance at getting rich.

State records indicate that for the last six months of 2008, lottery sales are up about 1 percent. They believe changes in instant tickets and the Cash 5 game are behind the spurt. Hey, don’t downplay the work of “the world’s second most famous groundhog,” who has been pushing the games in an ad campaign.

In terms of the slots, the six casinos that are in operation are showing gains of 7 percent in December 2008, as compared to the same month the year before.

Ironically, for one of the few times since it opened, gambling revenue at Harrah’s Casino & Racetrack is Chester is down. The numbers from December were off 7 percent from the year before.

Not sure why that is. I guess they could blame the smoking ban.