DES MOINES – Lawmakers were shocked to learn that Iowans have pumped $212 million into TouchPlay machines in the past eight months, House Speaker Chris Rants said Monday.

“When you break the numbers out based on how much, given the number of Iowans, is being spent, that number to me is staggering,” said Rants, R-Sioux City. “That’s a very high number, considering it’s such a short time we’ve had them.”

The Iowa Lottery released financial information on the machines Friday in response to Freedom of Information requests by The Associated Press and other news organizations.

Rants said lawmakers are feeling more pressure to get involved in the debate about gambling in Iowa and in the discussion about how gambling in the state is regulated.

Currently, the Legislature sets policy, with details determined by groups like the state Racing and Gaming Commission and the Iowa Lottery Board.

“Maybe those are the kinds of decisions that really should be made by policy makers instead of being made by boards and commissions and people like that,” Rants said.

He said debate on the issue could come quickly.

Sen. Keith Kreiman, D-Bloomfield, said everyone he spoke with over the weekend was talking about the TouchPlay issue.

He predicted that lawmakers would pass new restrictions on the machines, saying nearly everyone he spoke with was opposed to the growing number of TouchPlay machines statewide.

“It will be very tough for any legislator not to vote for some restrictions.”

A task force named by Gov. Tom Vilsack to review the issue is scheduled to issue its final report later this week.

Rants said lawmakers want to trace the money being generated by TouchPlay machines.

“Is this money that’s staying in my community or is this money that’s actually coming out of our community and going somewhere else?” Rants said.

Rants also said lawmakers want to know who is playing TouchPlay.

“My hunch is you have a smaller number of people who are spending a bulk of the money,” he said.