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Pennsylvania eyes leap to internet for casinos, lotteryNews Story
Facing huge deficits, Pennsylvania could become the first state to allow both its casinos and lottery to take its games online in a quest for money from new and younger players. The state government has a slew of fiscal challenges, made worse by sluggish tax collections and one of the nation's oldest average populations. A Republican-controlled Legislature trying to avoid a broad tax increase under Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf has instead turned over other rocks in search of alternatives. Ther
Apr 24, 2017, 9:15 am - Lottery News

NJ Lottery adding Quick Draw game to its lineupNews Story
Keno-style game will have drawings every five minutes The New Jersey Lottery announced that it will soon be adding a new style of lottery play to its product lineup with Quick Draw, a game with drawings held every five minutes. Winning numbers are displayed on a television screen installed in retail locations where tickets are sold. Quick Draw will most commonly be played in social settings such as bars, restaurants, bowling alleys, etc., where players stay for a period of time to socializ
Apr 19, 2017, 10:12 am - Lottery News

Proposal to boost N.J. pensions with lottery could happen this year, treasurer saysNews Story
The state treasurer said Thursday that Gov. Chris Christie's proposal to use New Jersey Lottery ticket proceeds to bolster the government worker pension fund could be finalized by the June 30 end of the fiscal year. Christie floated the somewhat opaque proposal to transfer assets from the lottery to the pension fund in his February budget address. His administration hasn't released any additional details since, including what would happen to the programs currently funded by the lottery.
Apr 7, 2017, 10:02 am - Lottery News

Illinois Lottery private manager still on job after firingNews Story
Finding a new lottery manager proves tricky for state government When Illinois lawmakers voted in 2009 to hire a private company to run the state's $2 billion-a-year lottery, they had high hopes of making more money that could be funneled into education and construction projects. Then the company missed sales goals, and two governors tried to fire Northstar Lottery Group. But Northstar remains on the job more than two years later, and the firm is now able to collect millions of dollars mor
Mar 28, 2017, 4:21 pm - Lottery News

N.J. Gov. proposes using lottery funds to fix pension holeNews Story
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie used his budget address Tuesday to take a final stab at saving government worker pensions, proposing to dedicate revenues from lottery ticket sales to the distressed fund. Christie suggested the state transfer the lottery to public pensions to provide a dedicated source of revenue and dramatically reduce the amount actuaries say the state owes. Christie said pledging the lottery as an asset to the pension fund would have the same effect as a cash infusion, s
Mar 1, 2017, 7:39 pm - Lottery News

Lottery-winner secrecy bill dies in Idaho SenateNews Story
An Idaho Senate panel has killed legislation that would have allowed lottery winners to hide their identities. The Senate State Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted 8-1 to halt the measure that would have kept the names of individuals who win $600 or more secret. While the bill would have allowed winners to give written authorization to the lottery to publicize their names, the proposal also prevented those names from being released under public records requests for six months after the pr
Mar 1, 2017, 7:27 pm - Lottery News

Idaho Lottery-winner secrecy bill headed to House floorNews Story
A proposal to provide more confidentiality for lottery winners got pushback Wednesday from the Idaho State Lottery Commission, but was ultimately approved by a legislative panel. This idea came to me from one of my constituents: an elderly lady who was a lottery winner but was quickly harassed by phone calls and people showing up at her door, trying to separate her from her winnings, said Rep. Lynn Luker (R-Boise). If we approve this, Idaho would join six other states that offer some form of
Feb 15, 2017, 6:29 pm - Lottery News

US lottery operators worry as fewer millennials line up to playNews Story
Young Americans are showing less interest in buying lotto tickets than their parents, prompting lottery officials to worry about the odds for future growth. While overall ticket sales rose 9 percent last year versus 2015, the number of millennials adults in their late teens to early 30s who play is falling. That is creating consternation among leaders of the industry, which generates $80 billion in annual revenue, more than the combined U.S. sales of movie tickets, music and concerts.
Feb 10, 2017, 11:36 am - Lottery News

Georgia Gov. to support casino bill if lottery not impactedNews Story
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said Tuesday he won't oppose legislation that would legalize casino gambling as long as it doesn't devastate the state's popular lottery-funded HOPE scholarship program. We need to be absolutely certain that if a casino bill passes, it doesn't adversely impact a lottery program for the state, he said. That is the first big marker to make sure that we don't devastate what is probably perceived as the most successful lottery program in the country. The governor
Jan 24, 2017, 12:59 pm - Lottery News

Massachusetts lawmakers renew push for online lottery salesNews Story
If Massachusetts lawmakers pass a plan backed by State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, the state lottery could be coming to phones and computers across the Commonwealth. After falling short in the last legislative session, proponents of expanding the state lottery into the digital world are renewing their push. I had to come around to this thinking because I myself hadn't thought about online lottery games, but I saw the way millennials are operating is really online, Goldberg said. This past
Jan 24, 2017, 9:39 am - Lottery News