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Tennessee bill advances to remove lottery winners from government assistanceNews Story
The Tennessee House on Monday passed a bill despite opposition from Democrats that, if it becomes law, would require the names of lottery winners to be cross checked with federal and state government assistance programs. Sponsored by Rep. Dan Howell, R-Georgetown, passed by a 73-21 near party-line vote on Monday night. The bill would make any lottery winner of prizes more than $5,000 ineligible for government assistance. Howell said federal law, which has a lower prize threshold, requires
Feb 28, 2017, 3:52 pm - Lottery News

New Mexico House committee endorses changes in lottery operationsNews Story
Financial bonuses for state lottery officials and contractors would be tied to increases in scholarship money available to New Mexico college students under a bill that got unanimous bipartisan approval from a House committee Monday. House Bill 250, sponsored by Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, also would require the state lottery to transfer money from unclaimed cash prizes usually $2 million to $4 million a year to the lottery scholarships fund. In addition, the bill would halt a pilot p
Feb 28, 2017, 3:40 pm - Lottery News

Florida Lottery sued by House over contractNews Story
Just another political battle masquerading as a lawsuit? Florida's House of Representatives filed a lawsuit late Friday accusing the Florida Lottery of illegally signing a long-term contract for ticket sales, escalating a feud between House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Gov. Rick Scott a little more than a week before the legislative session begins. Corcoran's decision to file the lawsuit represents a head-on confrontation with an agency overseen by Scott. In response, the governor's office
Feb 22, 2017, 7:40 am - 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

Florida House Speaker prepares to sue LotteryNews Story
The Florida Speaker of the House is drafting a lawsuit that would pit the House against the Florida Lottery. At the heart of the issue is a contract between the Florida Lottery and gaming vendor IGT Global Solutions Corporation, which provides lotto vending machines. Last year, the Florida Legislature budgeted about $26.6 million for terminal machines, $5 million for instant-ticket vending machines and $2.9 million for full-service vending machines, according to a draft of the suit. The
Feb 15, 2017, 10:30 am - Lottery News

Indiana lawmaker wants scratch-off lottery game to help homeless veteransNews Story
An Indiana Senate lawmaker wants the Hoosier Lottery to create a new scratch-off game to benefit homeless veterans. Sen. Ron Alting's (R-Lafayette) bill would allow the Hoosier Lottery to create a new scratch-off game. Money from the game would go into a Veterans Homelessness Assistance Fund, created by the bill. Alting says those dollars would flow, via grants, to organizations that help homeless veterans. It goes for temporary housing and yes it goes for clothing and yes it can go fo
Feb 1, 2017, 6:38 pm - 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

Virginia nixes online lottery ticket salesNews Story
A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee jettisoned legislation that would have allowed the Virginia Lottery to sell tickets on the Internet. Convenience store owners were among those opposed to the bill that would have opened the door to online gambling. This is the first time a Virginia Assembly Committee has voted on the issue. Del. Roxann Robinson introduced the bill, which was defeated 6-1 in a House General Laws subcommittee. The commonwealth is always looking for additional fundin
Jan 19, 2017, 7:41 pm - Lottery News

Older Pennsylvanians lose from lawmakers' raid on lottery fundNews Story
Includes video report Pennsylvania is now six years into the glut of baby boomers aging into their senior years and it's taking a toll on the Pennsylvania Lottery, which pays for the programs that serve them. Unless some changes happen and/or lottery ticket sales rise dramatically, the budget office projects the lottery fund that pays for senior programs could come up more than $70 million short in the next fiscal year and the situation worsens in ensuing years. We've been hit by the t
Jan 13, 2017, 7:32 pm - Lottery News