Q&A with the CT Lottery CEO
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 forum
New Michigan lottery terminals are giving retailers fits
Numerous glitches have popped up on the touch-screen devices that use satellite technology
The new generation of Michigan Lottery machines is giving some retailers fits as the devices sometimes go on the blink in this winter's harsh weather.
The state began replacing 11,000 older model machines last fall, and the conversion should be completed by month's end.
But unlike the old system, which used phone lines, the new one relies on satellite technology.
In snowy, windy weather, the ne ...
Jan 16, 2009, 7:54 am - - Lottery News forum
National Lottery computer fiasco cost winner £800,000
A systems failure at the lottery operator Camelot caused terminals in shops to crash as they tried to issue tickets for the main Lotto draw and even halted Internet sales.
The dramatic reduction in takings for the post-Christmas draw caused the jackpot to be trimmed from the 4.2 million (US$6.1 million) estimated on Christmas Eve to 3.4m (US$5m).
Camelot apologized publicly after the problem which may also have prevented a potential jackpot winner from buying a ticket.
A single player w ...
Dec 29, 2008, 9:54 am - - Lottery News forum
How online gamblers unmasked cheaters
In the wild, wild west, when a poker player was caught cheating it was a capital offense, with the punishment quickly dispensed right across the card table. But today if you're caught cheating in the popular and lucrative world of Internet poker, you may get away scot-free.
At least that seems to be what is happening in the biggest scandal in the history of online gambling. A small group of people managed to cheat players out of more than $20 million.
And it would have gone undetected if i ...
Dec 1, 2008, 2:17 pm - - Lottery News forum
Wisconsin Lottery does not make vendor pay for mistakes
The Wisconsin Lottery has repeatedly declined to seek the maximum amount of damages allowed against a contractor whose technical failures have disrupted ticket sales and operations, records show.
The Lottery has contracted with GTECH Corp. since 1989 to operate its ticket system, including 3,200 terminals at retailers statewide and a related telecommunications network. Under the contract, the Lottery can assess damages when its telecommunications systems fail or tickets cannot be validated.
...
Nov 28, 2008, 9:28 am - - Lottery News forum
Michigan Lottery replacing terminals statewide
Michigan celebrates 36th anniversary of state lottery
As the Michigan Lottery turns 36 this week, about 11,000 lottery machines across Michigan are being replaced with new state-of-the-art terminals.
The new Michigan Lottery terminals are smaller, faster and easier to use, with features including touchpad screens and laser printing instead of keyboards and the usual ticket paper.
About 3,420 retailers statewide already have converted to the new machines.
State's first lottery ticket ...
Nov 14, 2008, 10:42 am - - Lottery News forum
Programming errors cause S.C. Lottery payout problems
Software bugs discovered in new system
The executive director of the South Carolina Lottery apologized to players Wednesday, a week after software glitches caused some lottery tickets to not be paid correctly.
Ernie Passailaigue, who heads the lottery, said a myriad of problems surfaced last week but have since been fixed. He said the problems stem from the installation of a new software system.
Some game tickets from the lottery's former game contractor didn't scan properly, he said, a ...
Nov 14, 2008, 9:42 am - - Lottery News forum
Human error caused expensive Va. Lottery mistake
New Game Generated More Than 600 Winning Tickets
Debra and Raul Bennett are faithful lottery players, though in nearly 15 years of playing they never had won much more than pocket money.
So on Sunday, when the retired Hampton, Va., couple realized they had a winning ticket from the Virginia Lottery's brand-new Fast Play Super 7s game, they were ecstatic. Plans for spending the $7,777 the game's top prize came fast and furious.
But when the Bennetts went to the Hampton Virginia Lottery o ...
Oct 22, 2008, 6:44 pm - - Lottery News forum
Virginia winners may have to pay for Lottery's mistake
Sometimes lotto luck lies underneath the surface of a scratch-off ticket. Sometimes it lies in the bounce of a ball. And sometimes it lies with the Virginia attorney general's office.
Hundreds of players thought they had struck gold when lottery terminals errantly spit out tickets that appeared to have won them as much as $7,777. Turns out it was a computer programming error, not lady luck.
Now the state's top lawyers will consult with the Virginia Lottery to decide whether the players get ...
Oct 21, 2008, 8:33 am - - Lottery News forum
Kansas Lottery officials mull GTECH systems failure
Kansas Lottery officials already had more than their hands full with the selection of gaming license applicants for their four casinos so they really didn't need another problem.
But, there it is: a casino data systems failure from GTECH, the Providence-RI-based firm that manages the state's lottery activities.
It was defective software, pure and simple, said Ed Van Petten, lottery executive director, in describing the systems failure. GTECH, a former publicly-traded American company, was ...
Jul 15, 2008, 11:00 pm - - Lottery News forum
