A new poker lotto game from Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. is just another way for Premier Dalton McGuinty’s cash-strapped government to prey on the poor, opposition parties charge.

The game has a main prize of $100,000 drawn every night but players who put down $2 for a ticket during the day could win up to $5,000 instantly for a quick-pick hand of cards generated by lottery terminals.

“The hook is the instant win,” said NDP justice critic Peter Kormos. “It’s not the high rollers who play these $2 games, it’s low-income people who play them in their neighbourhood. They stop in at the corner store.”

The NDP called for a halt to new lottery games after OLG announced it will move forward with Internet gambling with the government’s blessing, raising concerns that problem gamblers will sit at home and feed their addiction in private.

“All that Dalton McGuinty is interested in is taking more money out of the pockets of families,” said Progressive Conservative Tim Hudak, although he would not call on the government to stop any new lottery games.

The Liberal government is facing a deficit of $19.3 billion this year in the wake of the recession.

The poker lotto game began Tuesday with 200,000 tickets sold, said Greg McKenzie, senior vice-president of lotteries at OLG. It’s aimed at twenty-somethings who are into the poker craze.

“The lottery business is largely an aging business so we’re looking for a younger customer — over 18, of course,” said McKenzie.

“We have a player base that’s looking for fun, exciting and changing opportunities.”

He noted the poker lotto game is expected to bring in gross revenues of $60 million this year, with 30 per cent or $18 million of that going into government coffers to help fund programs.

Kormos said OLG is desperate to come up with new revenue opportunities because business is down at its casinos. The lottery corporation turned $2 billion in profits to taxpayers last year.