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Sisters' lottery jackpot trial begins todayNews Story
The lottery numbers that sisters Theresa Sokaitis and Rose Bakaysa had played together for years finally paid off in 2005, yielding a $500,000 Powerball jackpot. But for whom? Sokaitis, 84, of Middletown, Connecticut, claims she never saw a dime of that money and sued her older sister. This morning, their dispute over the jackpot will go to trial before a judge at Superior Court in New Britain. I love my sister and I feel bad this is all getting dragged into court, but I have children
Mar 23, 2010, 9:36 am - Lottery News

States go all in, expand gaming to plug the budgetNews Story
Faced with a drop in gambling revenue, states are adding games, considering new casinos and increasing lottery options anything to keep their cut of the profits rolling in. States are adamant that they don't want to take advantage of anyone, but with budgets in free-fall and tax increases a losing hand politically, lawmakers acknowledge they are dependent on gambling dollars. At least 18 states this year are looking to expand games of chance because of a drop-off of anywhere from 5 to 14 p
Mar 15, 2010, 9:24 pm - Lottery News

CT Gov. faces challenges bringing Keno to stateNews Story
Faced with strong skepticism from the Democrat-controlled legislature, the Rell administration started talks last week with Connecticut's two Indian tribes so that the state can legalize keno a gambling game that is currently offered in the casinos. Gov. M. Jodi Rell believes that keno is a lottery-style game and that the state's quasi-public lottery corporation can begin the game without approval by the legislature in the same way that it can start other lottery games. Officials said keno is
Mar 3, 2010, 8:36 am - Lottery News

Connecticut lottery players' prize claim period cut in halfNews Story
From now on, Connecticut Lottery winners will have six months less time to claim their prizes, in a change expected to reap $6.1 million in unclaimed prize money for the cash-starved state government during the first year. Effective Aug. 2, the Connecticut Lottery Corp. adopted a prize redemption period of 180 days, discarding the longtime claim period of 365 days. Last year, $604 million in Connecticut Lottery winnings were awarded and $13 million went unclaimed, roughly in line with the
Aug 13, 2009, 1:05 am - Lottery News

$500K lottery prize divides two elderly sistersNews Story
A passion for gambling shared by two once-inseparable octogenarian sisters has ended up dividing them, with the Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that one can sue the other for a share of a winning $500,000 lottery ticket. The court said 83-year-old Theresa Sokaitis, of Middletown, can try to enforce a written contract she signed with her 87-year-old sister, Rose Bakaysa, of Plainville, agreeing to split any gambling winnings. Sokaitis says she is due a share of a $500,000 Powerball jackpot
Aug 11, 2009, 9:27 pm - Lottery News

CT Lottery partners with Giants for new scratch gameNews Story
The New York Giants are now in the lottery business. Monday the team announced a partnership with the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to launch a Giants-branded scratch-off ticket game later this month. License agreements between lotteries and NFL teams became possible after a vote by league owners at their May meetings. It's just one of the new ways NFL owners have found to enhance their bottom line in these tough financial times. The new lottery game is also expected to add $1 million
Aug 4, 2009, 11:39 pm - Lottery News

Conn. AG urges changes before allowing KenoNews Story
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal advised Connecticut legislators Monday to amend the state's memoranda of understanding with two federally recognized Indian tribes before attempting to legalize Keno in the state. He said the proposal to bring Keno to Connecticut, suggested last week by Gov. M. Jodi Rell as a way to raise about $60 million a year in new revenue, could risk the $400 million the casinos provide the state annually in slot machine revenues. Under that memoranda between the t
Jun 2, 2009, 6:48 am - Lottery News

Connecticut man sues friend for share of lottery prizeNews Story
A Connecticut man is suing a friend for a share of a $1 million lottery jackpot. Armando Martins of Trumbull claims that he and Nuno Nascimento of Bridgeport had an agreement to buy lottery tickets every week and to share if they won. Martins says he gave his friend $75 each week to buy tickets. On April 1, Martins said he only has $74 for his share. The lawsuit says that evening one of the tickets that Nascimento bought at a local grocery store was a $1 million Powerball winne
May 15, 2009, 9:06 pm - Lottery News

Connecticut lottery agents protest cut in commissionsNews Story
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

Q&A with the CT Lottery CEONews Story
The Hartford Business Journal recently conducted an interview of the Connecticut Lottery CEO. Q: The lottery has a rich history in our country, dating back to the Revolutionary War when it was used to finance armaments. A legislator floated the idea of a super lottery for deficit reduction. Is there a lottery game out there that could generate $1 billion for the state in profit? Currently, our revenues to the state exceed a quarter-billion dollars annually. It is unlikely that there exists
Apr 14, 2009, 9:36 am - Lottery News