Maryland Lottery to tackle budget constraints with social media
The Maryland Lottery will rely more on social media and less on D.C.'s massive media market to tout its games as the state slashes its advertising budget.
The state agency said it will look at Twitter, Facebook and other online networking sites to save money after statewide budget cuts slashed its ad spending by $5.5 million. And instead of buying pricey ads on local television stations that reach the entire D.C. market, it may buy Comcast cable ads that target certain neighborhoods, lottery ...
Jul 31, 2009, 8:37 am - - Lottery News forum
Proposed Mass. budget includes nonexistent lottery money
Issue highlights problem with budgeting based on speculation
When Massachusetts lawmakers approved a $24.7 billion state budget last week, they included $25 million in expected revenue from the multi-state lottery game, Powerball.
The trouble is, the state's bid to become a part of the game had been rejected and state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill neglected to let legislators know.
To make matters worse, the inclusion of Powerball revenue in the state budget was based upon the notion that ...
Jul 29, 2009, 12:27 pm - - Lottery News forum
Tenn. Lottery's Hargrove named chair of the Powerball Group
Rebecca Hargrove, president and CEO of the Tennessee Education Lottery, earlier this month was named Chair of the Powerball Group of the Multi-State Lottery Association.
In the position announced July 10, Hargrove will oversee the management and marketing of the brand, its budget, its rules and new membership.
A 24-year lottery industry veteran, Hargrove has served as the chief executive of four U.S. lotteries and was hired in 2003 to launch Tennessee's lottery.
The Multi-State Lottery ...
Jul 29, 2009, 12:16 pm - - Lottery News forum
Arkansas Lottery director hires core management staff
Outcry over high salaries; Director defends
Ernie Passailaigue, who started his job two weeks ago as executive director of the Arkansas Lottery Commission, has been steadily hiring employees to fill core management positions, while defending the high salaries he is giving the new staff.
Before the hiring commenced, a legislative committee signed off ealier this month on the newly hired lottery chief's plan to pay his top deputies more than $200,000 each.
Passailaigue asked legislators t ...
Jul 15, 2009, 11:53 am - - Lottery News forum
New Hampshire crushes lottery winners with new 10% tax
Two $1M winners rush to get prizes before taxes skyrocket
Will higher taxes have the wrong effect and reduce revenue to the state?
The day before a massive 10 percent state tax on lottery prizes went into effect in the Granite State, two winners claimed separate $1 million jackpots something never before witnessed by a 20-year veteran of the lottery.
Milford High School teacher John Kasparek, 42, of Brookline, took a lump sum cash payment of $650,000 before taxes after a NH Millionaire' ...
Jul 1, 2009, 8:11 pm - - Lottery News forum
N.J. Lottery to end live broadcast of midday drawing
Is $100,000 in cost-savings worth the loss of midday drawing broadcasts?
Beginning Friday, the New Jersey Lottery Commission will stop airing live drawings at 1 p.m. on the state's public television network in an effort to save money.
Only summaries of the results of the Pick 3 and Pick 4 lotteries will be shown on New Jersey Network at 1 p.m., the state Lottery Commission said today.
Video of the actual drawings will only be available on the commission's Web site.
The midday winning ...
May 11, 2009, 10:41 pm - - 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
Prop 1C would change the California Lottery
Voting 'Yes' will allow lottery to create larger prize payouts
On May 19, California voters will have a chance to change the state lottery for the first time since it started in 1984.
Proposition 1C would allow the state to borrow $5 billion from future lottery profits to help balance the state's 2009-10 budget.
Lottery payment to educational institutions would end and the state general fund would increase its payments to schools to make up for the loss of lottery funds.
Currently, t ...
May 8, 2009, 8:35 am - - Lottery News forum
Tennessee Lottery shortfall requires reserves
$10 million needed to fully fund scholarship grants for students
Are computerized drawings hurting sales? Will the Tennessee Lottery bring back real ball drawings? Why is Powerball always blamed for poor financial showing in Tennessee?
The state of Tennessee probably will have to pull about $10 million from reserves to keep lottery scholarships fully funded this year, budget officials said after reporting a revenue shortfall last week.
State Budget Director Bill Bradley said the state w ...
May 4, 2009, 6:35 pm - - Lottery News forum
Proposition 1C changes how California Lottery funds are used
Like the lottery games it promises to change, Proposition 1C looks to be a bit of a gamble.
The measure could deliver $5 billion to help close the state's staggering $42 billion budget gap. At the same time, it would ease long-standing rules that some believe have held back the 25-year-old state lottery.
Within a few years, however, Proposition 1C may only make the state's financial problems worse, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office has warned.
The proposition, one of six budg ...
Apr 28, 2009, 8:20 am - - Lottery News forum
