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Skyrocketing scratch-off sales indicate lotto players are resilientNews Story
By Kate Northrop While ticket sales and jackpots are down for draw games like Powerball and Mega Millions, Americans have no problem finding entertainment in other lottery alternatives. Vendors have been selling tickets for multi-state games during stay-at-home orders, but customers are understandably reluctant to take the time to pick out numbers and hand cash to attendants while making essential shopping trips. Instead, quick buys like scratch-off tickets make great substitutions for the
May 14, 2020, 2:08 pm - Lottery News

Virginia Lottery March profits took a big hitNews Story
The Virginia Lottery is still running during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its March profits dropped 28 percent, according to a new agency report. The Lottery took in $48 million in profits for March, down more than a quarter compared to the same month last year. Though Gov. Ralph Northam has shut down virtually all types of indoor entertainment including the Rosie's gambling facilities operated by Colonial Downs he has not ordered the Lottery, a state agency, to stop selling tickets. Most Lo
Apr 22, 2020, 6:45 pm - Lottery News

U.S. gaming industry hanging hopes on stimulus packageNews Story
Hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, the American gaming industry, including the expanding legal sports betting market, is optimistic the federal relief bill signed into law Friday by President Donald Trump will help its recovery. The $2 trillion CARES Act provides emergency liquidity, tax relief and additional support for small businesses, among other measures that could benefit the gaming industry. The funds will be allocated to states then apportioned to individual industries based on eco
Mar 31, 2020, 8:47 am - Lottery News

Missouri Lottery sales drop amid coronavirus responseNews Story
With Missouri already losing tax revenue from the shutdown of the state's casinos, sales of lottery tickets have taken a nosedive as people stay home amid a pandemic. According to a weekly sales update obtained by the Post-Dispatch, overall sales dropped by 11% this week compared to a similar period last week. Scratch off ticket sales have dropped 9% and lottery draw games are down 11%. For the lottery, that amounts to a total sales drop of more than $1.7 million. The decline in sales i
Mar 20, 2020, 7:25 am - Lottery News

Amazon held talks on bid to takeover the UK National LotteryNews Story
Amazon held talks about bidding to run the United Kingdom National Lottery, The Mail on Sunday revealed. The discussions fizzled out, but the US tech giant's interest raises the prospect of it entering Britain's gambling market at some stage. Amazon, owned by the world's richest man, Jeff Bezos, has more than 300 million active customer accounts. It may have seen the Lottery as a chance to take the competition online and widen its reach. City sources told The Mail that only prelimin
Mar 16, 2020, 10:59 am - Lottery News

Alabama lottery bill filed in House with 70 co-sponsorsNews Story
Alabama Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, filed an education lottery bill Tuesday with 70 co-sponsors that if passed would go to the ballot as a constitutional amendment for people to vote on. It would approve a paper-based lottery generating about $167 million each year according to Clouse. 50 percent of the proceeds would go toward the First Class Pre-K program and the other half for scholarships. Video lottery terminals would not be allowed. It's just time that we put this on the ballot agai
Mar 12, 2020, 10:48 am - Lottery News

Michigan Lottery has few options to stop players who spend millionsNews Story
In June 2017, Viktor Gjonaj walked into a sleepy retail strip on Dequindre Road in Sterling Heights. He wasn't heading for the massage parlor, or the small Indian and Pakistani grocery store or restaurant or the hair salon. Instead, he went into the Michigan Lottery claim center at the northern edge of Sherwood Plaza. There, he showed his driver's license and Social Security card, completed a claim form, and left $2.5 million richer with a check cut to him as the prize for the 500 winning
Mar 9, 2020, 9:23 am - Lottery News

Alabama governor reestablishes study group for lotteryNews Story
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey reopened the Governor's Study Group on Gambling Policy by signing Executive Order 719. I am committed to, once and for all, getting the facts so that the people of Alabama can make an informed decision on what has been a hotly debated topic for many years, Ivey said in a press release. Without a doubt, there will be ramifications if we eventually expand gaming options in our state just as there are costs associated with doing nothing. The purpose of the study group i
Mar 5, 2020, 12:13 pm - Lottery News

Lottery industry facing new threat in 'skill' gamesNews Story
State lotteries are grappling with the rapid spread of unregulated skill gaming machines, which are found in convenience stores, bars, restaurants and taverns across the country. While these machines have existed for some time, their manufacturers and operators have become increasingly aggressive in their roll out strategy, placing these machines in the front of stores and even replacing lottery self-service terminals with them. Individual lotteries predict these machines could reduce their r
Feb 19, 2020, 9:34 am - Lottery News

Pa. Lottery blames growth of skill games, lack of big jackpots for drop in profitsNews Story
The growing proliferation of so-called skill games at Pennsylvania Lottery retailers are having an impact on the lottery's ability to generate revenue to pay for programs for senior citizens, a lottery official told state lawmakers on Tuesday. Lottery executive director Drew Svitko told lawmakers skill games could lead to a $200 million decline in scratch-off ticket sales this year. That is a bigger loss than the $115 million hit last year. Svitko attributed the higher projection to the ri
Feb 18, 2020, 7:06 pm - Lottery News