N.J. police warn of lottery scams
Police are reminding residents to be wary of so-called international lottery scams in which large sums are promised but require recipients to send money before they can claim their prize.
Two Camden, New Jersey, residents were recently victims of this scam, police said.
One woman, an 84-year-old, sent a total of $25,000, money she got through cash advances on a credit card.
She reported the scam to police Sept. 29 after her prize money never arrived, said Camden Det. Zsakhiemcq James.
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Oct 24, 2006, 8:48 am - - Lottery News forum
N.J. Lottery throws out GTECH contact
State to rebid lottery deal as lobbyist concerns arise
Seeking to erase concerns the state's long-time lottery vendor might have enjoyed an inside edge in winning its latest contract, New Jersey state treasurer Bradley Abelow announced yesterday the state will rebid the job for the third time in 15 months.
Abelow ended special hearings that have been going on before former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel O'Hern Jr. and said the department will move quickly to solicit new bids.
Du ...
Oct 21, 2006, 11:53 pm - - Lottery News forum
GTECH explains pricey N.J. Lottery contract
Seeking to justify a price tag of nearly $32 million more than a competitor to run the New Jersey's lottery for the next five years, representatives of the state's lottery operator said Wednesday that their system is more convenient for vendors and would result in less down time and lost revenues for the state.
Representatives for GTech, which won a new contract despite bidding $106.7 million to Scientific Games' $75 million, said the higher price comes with more assurance that its terminals ...
Oct 12, 2006, 2:48 pm - - Lottery News forum
Criminal probe sought in award of NJ Lottery contract
A New Jersey Assembly Democrat has asked for a criminal investigation into the role a Republican assemblywoman and her former lobbying firm played in helping the state's lottery operator gain a new contract despite bidding nearly $32 million more than a competitor.
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Princeton, sent a letter Sept. 29 to Gregory A. Paw, director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, asking for an investigation to determine whether Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, R-Red Bank, and her ...
Oct 10, 2006, 9:03 am - - Lottery News forum
N.J. investigators warn of lottery scam
Same old lottery scam that people keep falling for
Melissa A. Garcia, a financially strapped single mother, rejoiced last month when she received a letter proclaiming she had won $65,000 in the Horizon Empire Sweepstakes.
The letter even came with a legitimate-looking business check for $2,450.80. The money, the letter stated, was supposed to cover taxes and clearance fees so Garcia could claim her prize.
I thought it was my way out of all the things I've been through, said Garcia, ...
Sep 18, 2006, 10:13 pm - - Lottery News forum
N.J. Gov. wants video lottery
Is Corzine trying to make up for his throwing away millions during lottery/casino shutdown?
New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, who cost the state millions of dollars in tax revenue by shutting down the state's lottery and casino games in a move to force legislators to accept massive tax increases, proposed Tuesday that New Jersey should add video lottery terminals.
(See Budget Process Questioned After Shutdown, below.)
The terminals have long been proposed for the Meadowlands and ot ...
Jul 26, 2006, 7:03 pm - - Lottery News forum
Scratch-off tickets are lottery's big winner in N.J.
Wanna bet which game has fueled the New Jersey Lottery's growing revenue over the past decade?
It's not the multi-state Mega Millions, introduced in 1999, but the simple scratch-off ticket.
Yes, the tempt of instant gratification has nearly tripled scratch-off sales since fiscal year 1997. Last year, scratcher sales reached more than $1 billion for the first time and accounted for nearly half of the state's lottery sales.
One reason has to do with sort of instant gratification - they c ...
Jul 25, 2006, 11:09 am - - Lottery News forum
NJ lawmakers cool to idea of selling lottery
Part 3 of a 3-part look at the New Jersey Lottery
In a state bleeding red ink and desperately needing a cash infusion to pay down growing debts, it sometimes seems like almost anything could come up for sale.
In the name of quick cash, lawmakers have floated ideas for selling state buildings and iconic roads. In a smaller gesture aimed at squeezing out some dollars to balance the books, Gov. Jon S. Corzine recently stood in a field of used state cars to promote their sale.
So what about ...
Jul 25, 2006, 10:09 am - - Lottery News forum
Why did NJ give lottery contract to the highest bidder?
Part 2 of a 3-part look at the New Jersey Lottery
A month after a new contract to operate the New Jersey's lottery was supposed to begin, officials still have not determined whether to go with a new company that bid about $75 million for the five-year pact, or the existing operator which bid nearly $32 million more.
Last fall, the state awarded a new five-year contract to GTech Corp., which bid $106.7 million. With a bid $31.7 million lower, Scientific Games filed a protest saying the stat ...
Jul 25, 2006, 9:27 am - - Lottery News forum
NJ Lottery's payroll trims state take
Part 1 of a 3-part look at the New Jersey Lottery
To lottery players, the scratch-off tickets and numbers games are a fun way to pass the time and maybe strike it rich.
For state government, however, the games serve a more practical purpose a big business. A significant chunk of money from the lottery goes to causes such as colleges, public schools and veterans' homes.
By many measures, the system works: New Jersey ranks among the top five states in converting lottery sales to profit ...
Jul 25, 2006, 8:51 am - - Lottery News forum
