Ohio Lottery director resigns
Ohio's lottery director resigned Tuesday from a rocky tenure serving in Gov. Ted Strickland's cabinet, as the state tries to expand the lottery to include video slot machines at horse racing tracks.
Dolan did not say why he's leaving in his resignation letter to Strickland, other than to say that he had thought about the direction of the lottery, including the new policy for slot machines.
My reflection has led me to conclude that the best interests of the Lottery and the state, as well a ...
Aug 4, 2009, 9:51 pm - Lottery News forum
Arkansas Lottery targets Oct. 29 for first ticket sales
Drawing games will start later in the year
The Arkansas Lottery Commission set official target dates Friday for the first lottery tickets to go on sale: Oct. 29 for instant-win, scratch-off tickets and Dec. 14 for tickets for drawing games.
The commission also approved spending up to $30,000 to buy a car for newly hired executive director Ernie Passailaigue, who officially starts July 1 but has already been working to get Arkansas' lottery started.
Two requests for proposals, or RFPs, t ...
Jun 22, 2009, 12:17 am - Lottery News forum
Ohio Lottery director under scrutiny for equipment debacle
A year ago, Ohio Lottery Director Michael A. Dolan persuaded skeptical lawmakers to buy $11.6 million worth of equipment to launch the state's new Keno game on a promise that the setup would still work after a year a premise that Dolan later admitted was false.
Now, as Dolan prepares to ask the same legislative panel to approve a $41 million contract with a company to run Keno and other lottery games for the next two years, the director's own dubious promises could return to haunt him.
On ...
Jun 1, 2009, 9:51 am - Lottery News forum
Connecticut lottery agents protest cut in commissions
More than 100 lottery agents from across the state came to Connecticut Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill Thursday to protest a cut in ticket commissions by the Connecticut Lottery Corp.
The agents, who represent businesses ranging from small convenience stores and gas stations to delis and grocery store chains, are frustrated by an act that state legislators passed in February that cut commissions from 5 percent to 4 percent as of April 1.
The lottery corporation's board of directors stil ...
May 8, 2009, 11:30 am - Lottery News forum
A Nevada Lottery? The Line Forms in California
On a recent afternoon, lines of customers snaked to the door of the Primm Valley Lotto Store, a bustling hut just over the border in California. The parking lot was packed with cars sporting Nevada license plates.
The hut, on a dead-end street paved for the sole purpose of crossing that border, holds two important distinctions. It is the lottery ticket vendor closest to Las Vegas, 45 miles to the northeast. And it sells more lottery tickets than any other vendor in California, according to th ...
Apr 26, 2009, 12:36 pm - Lottery News forum
Reflecting bad times, some lotteries hit losing streak
State lotteries are down on their luck as players cut back on games of chance.
From California, where sales for the past year are down 5%, to Florida, where sales slipped 7%, fewer people are gambling on scratch-off tickets and numbers games.
The economy probably has affected lottery sales the way it's affected all discretionary spending, says David Gale of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries.
About half of Americans buy lottery tickets, according to a 2008 ...
Apr 14, 2009, 8:47 am - Lottery News forum
Arkansas Senate, House pass lottery bills, send to governor
The Arkansas House and Senate on Monday passed each other's identical versions of legislation to set up Arkansas' lottery to fund college scholarships.
The House voted 94-0 to approve Senate Bill 26 by Sen. Terry Smith, D-Hot Springs, and the Senate voted 34-0 to approve House Bill 1002 by House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway. The bills now go to the governor, who is expected to sign them this week.
The legislation calls for creation of a nine-member lottery commission, with three members ...
Mar 24, 2009, 8:07 am - Lottery News forum
Maryland Lottery sales on the rise
The appeal of a rags to riches story has never been more desirable than now.
With a faltering economy dominating the minds and wallets of many, and stores predicting flat sales during the holiday season, Marylanders are spending less on retail goods. Yet local vendors agree on one thing.
Lottery sales have increased this year.
According to the Maryland Lottery, instant scratch-off sales are up almost $45 million from this time last year. Overall lottery sales are up by almost $10 millio ...
Nov 28, 2008, 9:54 am - Lottery News forum
Wisconsin Lottery does not make vendor pay for mistakes
The Wisconsin Lottery has repeatedly declined to seek the maximum amount of damages allowed against a contractor whose technical failures have disrupted ticket sales and operations, records show.
The Lottery has contracted with GTECH Corp. since 1989 to operate its ticket system, including 3,200 terminals at retailers statewide and a related telecommunications network. Under the contract, the Lottery can assess damages when its telecommunications systems fail or tickets cannot be validated.
...
Nov 28, 2008, 9:28 am - Lottery News forum
Ohio Lottery's new Keno game off to slow start
The bingo-like lottery game that began this summer in Ohio to help plug the gaping hole in the state budget is off to a slow start.
Keno has been hindered by a weak economy and challenges getting it established at 2,000 bars and restaurants, said Mike Dolan, executive director of the Ohio Lottery.
The game is a central part of Gov. Ted Strickland's plan to insulate the state budget from the economic downturn that has dried up tax revenue.
Keno started Aug. 4 and sales were roughly $32 m ...
Nov 26, 2008, 7:50 am - Lottery News forum
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