good to see them listening to their players.texas is moving things in the right direction.this is a good step in restoring some of their tarnished reputation as of late.....

That Dawn Nettles really sounds angry.  She said, "The people are going to boycott this game, and I'm going to see to it that they do."  Maybe she's just angry she didn't get the director's job when she had the chance.  I guess the interview didn't go too well.

Listen is right.  Somebody might eventually listen to me for a Super National Lottery for funding natural disaster relief, not education.  Any ideas, LOTTOMIKE, Todd, LP Members, anybody out there just surfing the web????

When exactly is Lotto Texas goes back to a 6 number system? I'm happy that they're ditching the bonus ball. MM sales are doing well, but sales should return for Texas with 6 numbers.

Dawn Nettles is right, I won't play the new TxLotto game either, either 6/49 or 6/50 and good lower prizes or nothing.

Well I don't think there is much of a chance for any normal lottery game anymore in TX.  Even if they revert back to the 6 of 54 game or whatever it is I bet there won't be an increase in sales.  TX has Mega Millions and usually the in-state game suffers.  Changing the game back to the game that they had to replace a couple years ago isn't going to do much good.

Brad

Let's try this again

 Dear LP'ers

To Todds point - if you read Ms. Nettles writings, its clear she expects to run the Texas Lottery through the use of the "you have to respect player input and I (self appointedly) respesent the players - therefore you have to do whatever I tell you to do". I've seen on her web site where she actually suggests people contact the local DA in Austin to try to get him to force the lotteyr to do whatever her disciples ask for (or to open a criminal investigation if they don't). The Commission is well within their rights to come to a different conclusion - espcecially given the quality of the "analysis" she uses to justify her opinions.

As far as MyLollipops point - I personally have nothing against helping people who've suffered from a disaster but there are people who raise some valid points on the issue of building in flood plains/hurricane alleys etc. and expecting government to continually bail out those who do so.  Remember - lotteries are run by the states - the Feds have no right (except perhaps on Federal land) to run a lottery within the States. John Stossell of ABC news wrote a great piece about a property he owned in Florida, on the beach. The first time a storm washed it away, he let the government help out.  The second time, he paid for the repairs himself and the third time he sold the land and moved. Players and lotteries have a tough enough time as it is, recognizing and identifying the benefits from things as they are - I simply don't know how you could make that big of a change and get all (or any number of them) the states to buy in. The current beneficiaries would fight any change tooth and nail.

Those of us who live in Texas and spend $$$ for lottery products appreciate what Dawn Nettles is trying to accomplish. Her main goals are to ensure that Texas has a main lotto game that will be successful for the state and players, and that players actually receive 50 percent of sales.

Whether or not players will spend much to win secondary prizes less than $100 remains to be seen. A prize of $90 for getting 5 of 6 numbers is an insult.

Personally, I don't plan on spending much on Lotto. I prefer Cash 5 where I know I'll win more than $100 or more if I have 4/5. The jackpot rarely exceeds $30,000, but I know that when I buy tickets.

MegaMillions is my jackpot game.

While it is difficult to know what the future holds, I think it's clear that states that have tried to make $$$ with a lotto game similiar to the proposed Texas Lotto have failed.

The Texas lottery staff are very good at coming with losing games or messing with successful games in ways that they quickly become losers. No reason to hope that it will be any different this time around.

Nettles has are a large following. If she urges them to not play Texas Lotto, it will have a significant impact.

One final remark, if anyone really wants to know what is going on at the Texas lottery, they need to come to Austin and sit in on the meetings. You will never see so many dumb asses in one room. If that's not an option, just visit the Texas lottery website and read the minutes of prior meetings under the Legal tab.

Have a good day!

Dear bobby623:

I have attended MANY meetings in Texas and while they are certainly not without faults/flaws they are one of the best teams (the staff) and one of the most successful in terms of sales and dollars contributed per capita to the state, in the entire U.S.  Conversely, I was also present at a retailer forum where Ms. Nettles asked me why, if the odds on Pick 3 (Straight/Exact Order) are 1:1000 (with a suitable smug smirk like "I gotcha"), why the lottery doesn't pay $1,000 when you win.  It was poignant, and even somewhat embarassing for me, to have to explain to her (in front of Dallas area retailers and senior lottery staff - including the then Director) that prize levels generally reflect odds times prize payout. Thus, with odds of 1:1000 and a 50% prize payout, you get a prize of $500 on Pick 3 Straight.  I kept waiting for her to say "never mind" like the lady on Saturday Night Live. If the Lottery operated as she suggested, there would be no money to pay retailers or operate the games, let alone profits for the State. 

I know you appreciate her willingness to take on those bad people in Austin - and there are and have been some - but her level of actual expertise is quite frankly what is best described as a little knowledge being a dangerous thing.  Her complaints are just as valid as you have been led to believe and I note that for all of her being "the voice of the players" she got 900 and someodd inputs for her latest survey - which is not a statistically valid (I'm not saying everyone's opinion doesn't have some intrinsic value) sample of the playing population which numbers in the millions. Like she says on her web site - its personal to her.  I wonder how much of her passion comes from anger at not having her own way.

The Lottery did $3.75 billion last year and will beat it this year. The problems with lotto games in Texas are hardly unique (but the scope is more pronounced - her attacks have had an effect) and I for one would love, since she cares so much about the lottery, to see her try a more constructive approach.

Best Regards

DDB