Give Gov. Eliot Spitzer credit for his proposal to lease the operations of the state lottery to an outside entity in return for an upfront investment that could be in the tens of billions of dollars.

The idea floated last week by the governor is to collect now on the future of lottery profits as a means to establish a more stable funding source for education in New York. Others states are considering such moves, but New York could be the first to implement this type of arrangement.

It's a concept that deserves to move forward, largely because the future of lotteries is uncertain amid growing competition for gambling dollars.

We often lambaste government at all levels for failing to think about long-term implications of their decisions. This move, however, is an example of acting now on a problem that is likely to develop in the future if nothing changes. The state counts on the lottery for roughly $2.1 billion annually for education, but those funds depend on revenues.

Although we're urging state legislators to get behind this concept, we also acknowledge the concerns of anti-gambling groups who say that by turning over lottery operations to a private firm, the state will put more people at risk for gambling problems.

Private companies aiming to maximize profits could prey upon gambling addicts.

This is a concern that should not be ignored, but it doesn't have to be.

The state simply needs to be careful that any arrangement to privatize the lottery comes with some clear guidelines for preventing abuse by people who play.

Everyone needs to understand this basic fact - lotteries are here to stay. So it makes perfect sense to use revenues for a good purpose - education. And it makes sense to ensure that New York's is being handled in the most cost-effective yet responsible manner.