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$49,000 Mercedes is Washington Lottery's marketing toolNews Story
Some folks may think it's just a new way for Washington's Lottery to take suckers for a ride. That's not quite the agency mission, insists Lottery director Bill Hanson. So what is it? Hanson said Friday the agency bought a $49,000 Mercedes Sprinter van as a marketing tool to boost Lottery ticket sales at the Puyallup Fair and other big festivals where it sets up for marketing. He said it is an idea the agency dreamed up to boost revenues and help fill the state's yawning budget hole.
Oct 3, 2011, 2:21 am - Lottery News

Tenn. lawmakers float ideas to improve lottery revenuesNews Story
Tennessee state Senate minority leader is calling on fellow lawmakers to find ways to increase lottery revenues instead of cutting back on the scholarship program, while Gov. Bill Haslam has assigned his staff to consider a broad range of options for stabilizing the game's finances. Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, said in a letter released Wednesday that while the Tennessee Higher Education Commission estimates that the lottery will deplete its sizable reserves by 2024, it also says annual losses could
Sep 29, 2011, 9:36 am - Lottery News

Florida Walmart stores to sell lottery ticketsNews Story
Florida may have just hit a jackpot. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has agreed to end its long-standing refusal to sell lottery tickets in its U.S. stores after reaching a deal with the Florida Lottery. Starting in early October the retailer will embark on a pilot program at 27 Walmart neighborhood markets that stretch across central, southwest and South Florida. The first Walmart stores expected to begin selling lottery tickets are located in Orlando. Ticket sales will start o
Sep 27, 2011, 8:55 pm - Lottery News

Louisiana Lottery may add Mega Millions next yearNews Story
With the price of a Powerball ticket slated to increase from $1 to $2 starting next year, state lottery officials are betting that adding a second multi-state jackpot game will help draw in additional revenue. The game, Mega Millions, is offered in 41 states, plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. For $1, players pick five numbers, from 1 to 56, and one Mega Ball, from 1 to 46, and are eligible to win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing. In 2010, 23
Aug 30, 2011, 2:15 pm - Lottery News

Mass. state senator wants online lottery ticket salesNews Story
A Beacon Hill push under way today to sell Massachusetts Lottery tickets online which backers say could boost cash-strapped state coffers by as much as $1 billion a year is getting strong support from an unlikely corner liberal icon U.S. Rep. Barney Frank. I don't understand why liberals think they're supposed to tell people not to gamble, Frank told the Herald yesterday. They favor gay marriage, legalization of marijuana and sex-oriented literature, but not gambling. It's totally inconsiste
Jul 19, 2011, 11:25 am - Lottery News

Damaging evidence against former Mass Lottery overseerNews Story
Former Massachusetts state treasurer Timothy P. Cahill was directly involved in the state lottery's decision to launch a $1.65 million taxpayer-funded advertising blitz seen as benefiting his campaign for governor last year, according to e-mails and other documents obtained by local media. In August 2010, Cahill met for lunch with Hill Holliday chief executive Michael J. Sheehan, according to e-mails between lottery officials and the Boston firm. Following that lunch, Diane Anderson, then the
Jun 22, 2011, 10:24 am - Lottery News

Ohio Senate bill includes privatizing lotteryNews Story
Critics say gaming corp. drafted language The Ohio Senate's latest version of the state budget bill includes language to privatize the Ohio Lottery that is nearly identical to legislation drafted by a gaming company hoping to manage the $2.5 billion agency's day-to-day operations. The language, drafted by GTECH, an industry giant that once ran the Ohio Lottery's back-office operations, was added to the massive budget bill virtually unchanged and without any public hearing. The inclusion of
Jun 2, 2011, 7:21 am - Lottery News

Nebraska lottery equipment upgrades coming soonNews Story
This summer, the Nebraska Lottery will be upgrading equipment at over 1,150 retailers, providing several benefits for lottery retailers and players. The centerpiece of the conversion is the new Altura GT1200 lottery terminal provided by GTECH Corporation. The Altura is state-of-the-art technology, making it faster both for the clerk in selecting transactions and printing Lotto tickets. Each terminal will be connected via secure satellite or 3G wireless links to the central processing system.
May 19, 2011, 7:54 pm - Lottery News

D.C. first in USA to offer Internet gamblingNews Story
The District of Columbia is becoming the first U.S. jurisdiction to allow Internet gambling, trying to raise millions of dollars from the habits of online poker buffs and acting ahead of traditional gambling meccas like New Jersey and Nevada. Permitting the online games was part of the 2011 budget and a 30-day period for Congress to object expired last week, said D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown, who authored the provision. The gaming would be operated by Intralot, a Greece-based company,
Apr 12, 2011, 7:52 pm - Lottery News

Ohio Gov. considering privatizing management of lotteryNews Story
A proposal to privatize the management of the Ohio Lottery Commission was submitted this week to the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission, which researches Ohio's budgets and laws. Gov. John Kasich, who has yet to name a lottery director, has for weeks been discussing privatizing lottery operations, though he has not made a public commitment to do so. Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols said the administration would not answer questions about any proposal until the state budget is released
Mar 12, 2011, 10:32 pm - Lottery News