SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Lottery Superintendent Michael Jones said Monday that he hopes the state will begin selling lottery tickets online in the next three to four months.
Officials have long wanted to take the lottery to the web, and the path was cleared Friday with the release of a U.S. Department of Justice legal opinion that supports state-regulated online gambling.
(See Ruling by Justice Dept. opens a door on online gambling, Lottery Post, Dec. 25, 2011.)
State lawmakers in 2009 approved a massive road and bridge construction program that included possibly selling lottery tickets online to help pay for it.
But while Illinois officials opined that it was already legal to do so, they were waiting for the go-ahead from the federal government.
Now, Jones says their opinion has been "vindicated." He said a meeting about how to proceed will come in the next 10 days, with lottery tickets available for sale online shortly after.
"I'm going to insist on three to four months," he said.
If Illinois starts selling online tickets soon, it would be the first state to do so.
Jones said officials will now work on how to offer the tickets on a secure website, ensure buyers are over age 18 and are Illinoisans.
At first, Jones said, they'll shoot to offer the Lotto, Mega Millions and Powerball games online.
The possibility for the state to offer lottery tickets on the web comes because of a memo the Department of Justice made public before the holiday weekend that said state-regulated online gambling — except for sports betting — could be legalized.
The idea will surely spark the ire of gambling opponents, who fought the sale of lottery tickets online from the beginning, arguing the increased accessibility of gambling could lead to addiction problems.
The push to get tickets online, as well as the move to have a private company manage the Illinois Lottery, was part of a plan to increase the games' profit margin.
In recent years, annual lottery sales have topped $2 billion, but haven't risen sharply between years. Only time will tell how much more in sales the Internet could generate.
Jones says he thinks online sales will mostly pick up when jackpots get above $100 million.
"That's when everybody gets interested," he said.
Also part of the state's big construction plan was the legalization of video gambling machines in Illinois bars, an idea that hasn't become reality yet as regulators continue to iron out the details.
And the effort to put slot machines at Arlington Park and new casinos in Lake County, Chicago and other areas remains on hold as lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn continue to quibble over the terms of further gambling expansion.
Illinois ............... center of Thuggery !
Al Capone would play online
I thought that Illinois offers a subsription service to Illinois players??? What is the advantage of offerring an online lottery service only to Illinois residents when a person can just go down the street to a convience store and pick up their own ticket??? Just doesn't make sense to me unless it was offered to anyone over 18 anywhere accross the nation. We all know that lotto tickets are bearer instruments and if I lived in Illinois I rather have the ticket in my hand. I was recently in Illinois and picked up an advance play ticket for 15 drawings. Any person over 18 living in Illinois can do the same thing.
People said the same thing about shopping online. Why bother when you can just go down the street and buy the same thing at a store?
Just look at the UK: they've had online sales for a few years now — available only to people who live there — and it is a very popular way to play. Even though they can just go to a corner market and play.
Playing a states lottery games online makes it easier for the state to track who you are and how much you have won or lost. If you are someone who cashes in a number of tickets below the tax witholding level and your losses show less than what you have won you better be filing that on your taxes.
The feds and states love tax revenue.
They are not doing this for your convenience.
If they are worried that someone is a heavy gambler they just might send someone knocking on your door for gambling addiction.
when a person can't just go down the street to a convenience store and pick up their own ticket(s)
is a reason why this would be an advantage for said person
Todd you have a valid point when it comes to shopping online but I respectfully disagree when it comes to lottery tickets. I do alot of my shopping online because you can often get better deals then going into a store and plus you don't have to put up with the hassle of dealing with big crowds, parking etc. Another advantage is you can shop at your convience at any time during the day and with going to a store you can only go during their hours of operation. Since most convience stores are 24/7 you can pick up your tickets at anytime of the day you choose and can even pick them up while grocery shopping. If a person chooses to buy tickets online that's ok by me, but if I was a Illinois resident I would choose to pick up my ticket from a retailer. "A bird in the hand beats 2 in the bush!" If that ticket is signed and in your hand their is no dispute who the owner is! Just my opinion.
That makes sense lottoguy but usually a person can find someone to pick up their tickets for them. I am just saying what I would do. But if a person chooses to buy online than that is ok too. I am just not fond of the idea, but if the people of Illinois buy off on it and it becomes successful than so be it.
I was thinking the same thing, what about if you got snowed in and could'nt get to the store, you now have the option to dail it in, LOL.
-Michael
Oh a wonderful idea now that the state needs more money...
Personally, I like it. And since I'm living in IL, I'm going to use online PB/MM ticketing if it's available.
Sure, I can go to the 7-11 or wherever and pick up my ticket....even for 15 draws or whatever, but it's a convenience like anything else. You guys remember it gets f'n cold here, right? Who wants to scrape the windows to run to the gas station just for a ticket?
Got the Des Plaines Casino, Bar poker machines (maybe), Arlington Park and other horse tracks salivating over slots, an all-but-inevitable downtown Chicago casino... IL is going pro-gambling, so why not online too?
-J
This is off subject, but ................ I am tired of pumping out my basement. It is especially bad today. no more rain. A big win tonite would help!
The ticket is signed and safe !
but what if you want to avoid cashing it to cheat on tax obligation on lower tier prizes. you won't be able to if you buy it online. this is a set-up to increase tax revenue, no other reason. they know people pay unemployed or senior citizens to cash tickets but cannot prove it with a convenience store hard ticket. wake up.
The Government screws us ........... we screw the Government ....................... repeat daily!
Honesty is the best policy.
Don't tell me .............. tell the Politicians !
IDK who your replying to - but I think a widespread tax evasion by the public is actually more moral than the widespread theft of private citizens money through legalized theft (AKA: Taxes) - If you were referring to people evading taxes on lower level prizes. I mean think about it - if you beat the long odds and actually pull in more money over a year playing the lottery - should Uncle Sam get a cut? Hellllllll no.
Sure, honesty is the best policy. But by that same logic, it would have been best to just pay the Stamp Act instead of fight against it back in the 1700s.
Just some food for thought.
Why worry about it unless you live in NJ, MD, or New York, you'll never hit the Jackpot in either Mega-Millions or PowerBall, it seems both lotteries are fixed so that only those living in the Northeastern part of the country or California will win a Jackpot.
They use to have where you could down load the PowerBall winning numbers since it started it was archived and it gave the amounts and the winning states and the amounts won. They did away with that because you could see that it was way lop sided with the NE states winning more JackPots some after joining the games way after the states that were part of the original states that initiated the games.
It's getting to the point where it's just not worth playing where all your doing is building up the Pots for someone where they either are kids of millionaires winning or business owners that make more than most people do in their life time. I've been playing since the beginning of both Mega-Millions and PowerBall and that included when Mega-millions was the Big Game and Power-Ball went through a few name changes.
I know there are many out there that feel the same way, I'm now whining or complaining just stating a fact. But as they say you can't fight city hall, or the lottery commision they'll just tell you if you don't like it don't play.
Good Luck to all. I think I'm done with both for now, I'll save some cash.
Lotto Lin
You're preaching to the choir, but...
Men were men back in those days. Now, half the population is limp-wristed liberals and democrats and other assorted parasites and losers who love taxes (on others) and the idea of socialism and all of its failed policies. They want a nanny state to take care of them and that requires massive taxes on working people to feed and support the parasites and slackers who won't work.
The champion of these parasites and lazy slackers is in power now and will not hesitate to exact the utmost farthing from the producers to keep his legions of system-scammers well fed, housed and otherwise placated in return for their votes.
I take exception to the notion that myself not paying my assessed taxes would accomplish anything other than a stay in prison in the current environment.
And as bad as the current environment is, if the current President gets a second term, we may one day refer to this period of time as the "good old days".
I very much doubt you'll ever see your "widespread tax evasion" until the current President finishes his task of dismantling our Republic.
And his new Police State will not respond kindly.
Democrat George Wallace and his goons are long gone, Louise. Today's goons are those willing to trample and kill each other over a pair of shoes that say "Jordan" on them. Let's keep things in perspective.
If you choose to see life and all it's nuances through a prism of racial preoccupation and racially prejudicial bias, your optics are going to be skewed.
You attribute and assign things to me that I would never countenance simply because I'm from the South. That's prejudice, Louise.
You chose to remain with and trust the party that enslaved your ancestors. And how have you fared?
Don't blame me for the miseries you embrace.
Ridge , I don't know how racially motivate you are but you make comments that put down people who try who try to help the poor . There will always be the poor among us according to the bible.So in the land of milk and honey. There should be help for the poor.There will alway be goons like reverse(George Wallace) looking for people to reign over.
Lotto Lin,
"Why worry about it unless you live in NJ, MD, or New York, you'll never hit the Jackpot in either Mega-Millions or PowerBall, it seems both lotteries are fixed so that only those living in the Northeastern part of the country or California will win a Jackpot."
NJ, NY, MD or CA?
What about "the Miracle Mile" in Fond du Lac?
And then there's the "Miracle Mile" in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Have you heard about the "Miracle Mile"? The Miracle Mile is a small stretch on Main Street in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA that sells a disproportionate amount of winning lotto tickets. The luckiest store on Main Street in Fond du Lac is Ma & Pa's Convenience store. That store is the luckiest store in the country; it has sold more winning tickets than any other store, with the biggest being a $208.6 million Powerball win that was won by a group of employees at Sargento cheese plant in August of 2006.
http://lotterywinnerbios.blogspot.com/2010/03/latest-miracle-mile-lottery-winner-ma.html
Just do a search for Fond du Lac and lottery and see what you find.
http://www.biglotterywinners.com/2010/03/latest-miracle-mile-lottery-winner-ma.html
Screw Illinois lottery. No has won the MM here since 05 and the PB only had one winner and it was a small jackpot.
anyone who thinks the lottery is fixed so that only certain regions of the country win it (some clown said the northeast) is seriously misguided. perhaps more people play it in the northeast than in the corn belt or in ridgerunners moonshine counties.
Trust me, I know a lot about welfarism, at least in my little corner of Central NJ. Always present - and always making people dependent. The progressives will always snark at that idea - but that's because they don't care enough to spend some time working with the poor they want to "help" with a free check every week. On the other hand, I work directly with the poor - and I feel as if the welfarism we provide keeps them dependent, and the only thing that's sadder is when they teach their children to be lazy and to survive off of other people's kindness. On the other hand - people in poverty who work hard almost always see their situations bettered, and their kids have great work ethics, and will make it far.
By widespread tax evasion - and I should have been way more specific - I meant the fact that nobody really sits their with a journal of every dollar spent and won in the Lottery throughout the year - because that's ridiculous. The IRS says you should - and that if you end up ahead you owe them money. Almost every American evades some small amount of taxes, simply by not recording EVERY event that could make them anything that the IRS considers income.
So, I mean that, it's completely fine, and moral to refuse to record every gambling event you partake in, and chances are nobodies going to throw you in jail for it. If they DO throw you in jail for it - though - that's not fine - that's just ridiculous.
On a side note - the Definition of Liberal is somebody who believes in individual freedom and small government (as in classical liberalism) and the definition of Conservative is regarding tradition and preferring small, gradual change to abrupt changes. We really, really misuse the words today. By the real definitions, I am a Liberal Conservative, while the Democrats and most Republicans are Progressives and Socialists.