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Minnesota Lottery audit finds high costs, no crimeNews Story
The Minnesota State Lottery spends more money and provides less to the state than comparable lotteries and should revisit its ties to the St. Paul-based marketing company Media Rare Inc., auditors reported Thursday.Legislative Auditor James Nobles released the audit of the lottery about three weeks after former Lottery Director George Andersen died, apparently by suicide. Andersen had met with auditors about the review the day before he was found dead. We found many things to question and critic
Feb 20, 2004, 6:36 am - Lottery News

Wyoming Takes Step Towards Instituting LotteryNews Story
In a narrow vote, Wyoming lawmakers chose to support a bill that would allow the state to get into the lottery game.The House Revenue Committee voted 5-4 to pass House Bill 20 to the full House for debate. This is not about gambling in the state of Wyoming, said Rep. Dave Edwards, R-Douglas. We already have gambling. It's here, it's on the Internet. Edwards passed out a piece of paper containing six different ads promoting raffles from just one weekend edition of a Wyoming newspaper. Taking pa
Feb 19, 2004, 7:35 am - Lottery News

Extensive Minnesota lottery probe underwayNews Story
Minnesota gambling enforcement agents have begun a sweeping investigation into the Minnesota State Lottery that likely will involve inspecting hundreds of contracts with vendors for any improprieties. It is expected to take months to complete. As far as I'm concerned, there are no boundaries, said Norm Pint, special agent in charge of the gambling enforcement division of the Department of Public Safety, which is conducting the probe.Pint said Wednesday that the investigation was prompted by the
Feb 19, 2004, 6:58 am - Lottery News

Lottery director's friend also tried to commit suicide, report saysNews Story
The state's finance commissioner had been actively reviewing the management of the Minnesota State Lottery when lottery director George Andersen committed suicide.Dan McElroy, who is now Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief of staff, had found enough lapses to warrant a sharp letter to Andersen but he told reporters Thursday he didn't discover anything that suggested Andersen had done anything criminal. He said he isn't sure whether Andersen would have lost his job over the findings. I'm not aware of any a
Feb 13, 2004, 7:31 am - Lottery News

Minnesota Lottery to cut ties with bass eventNews Story
The Minnesota State Lottery will not sponsor any fishing tournaments this year, Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief of staff said Thursday.Dan McElroy said interim lottery director Michael Vekich plans to drop the Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour promotion. The lottery spent at least $65,000 a year over the past four summers to sponsor the fishing tournaments and solicited money from other sponsors on its behalf, according to lottery records.Former lottery director George Andersen, who killed himself last month
Feb 13, 2004, 7:21 am - Lottery News

Can a lottery win make you happy?News Story
The first Euro Millions lottery draw takes place on Friday, with the prospect of multi-million pound jackpots. How do windfall winners come to grips with their newfound wealth - and does it make them happy? For the price of a newspaper and a chocolate bar, any one of us can buy into a multi-million pound dream. It is a dream that lottery operators are keen to sell to yet more of us with the launch of EuroMillions, a mega draw for the UK, France and Spain aimed at boosting our flagging interest i
Feb 12, 2004, 6:39 am - Lottery News

Strongly worded letter sent to lottery director before his deathNews Story
After being directed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the state's finance commissioner has worked with the Minnesota State Lottery since last spring to tighten operations, but enough lapses continued that a strongly worded letter was sent to lottery director George Andersen shortly before his death, the Pioneer Press reported.Andersen resisted one of the Finance Department's key recommendations and did not address another major shortcoming identified by the agency. That led, in part, to the letter by Finan
Feb 12, 2004, 6:35 am - Lottery News

Minn. lottery director helped steer business to friend's firmNews Story
The late director of the Minnesota State Lottery helped a friend's company keep a lucrative lottery contract, the Star Tribune reported on Saturday.George Andersen was found dead of an apparent suicide on Jan. 27, a day after meeting with auditors who were probing his relationship with the company, Media Rare. The public relations firm was founded by Andersen's friend Michael Priesnitz.Auditors have questioned several lucrative contracts that Andersen approved between the lottery and Media Rare.
Feb 9, 2004, 6:01 am - Lottery News

Lottery director's ties to St. Paul vendor probedNews Story
Auditors probing the business dealings of Minnesota State Lottery director George Andersen have been pursuing a claim that he steered thousands of dollars of lottery money to a vendor he controlled.Andersen was found unconscious Tuesday outside his home in Hugo. He had a self-inflicted wound to his wrist, and a knife was found nearby, authorities said. A preliminary autopsy report released Wednesday called his death a suicide and said he died from hypothermia due to exposure.Andersen died a day
Jan 30, 2004, 6:42 am - Lottery News

Friends Say Audit Troubled Minnesota Lottery ChiefNews Story
George Andersen built the Minnesota Lottery from the ground up, and some who knew him say he looked upon it less like a bureaucrat and more like a proud and protective father.Andersen committed suicide Tuesday, a day after meeting with a government auditor examining the lottery's operations. He was found outside his home, and an autopsy determined he died of hypothermia in single-digit termperatures after cutting his wrists, said sheriff's Cmdr. Scott Malinosky said.Andersen's death has focused
Jan 29, 2004, 6:08 am - Lottery News