Mass Lottery to announce record sales

Jun 30, 2015, 4:13 pm (11 comments)

Massachusetts Lottery

The Massachusetts Lottery is expected to break a sales record this year for the fourth year in a row, the lottery executive director said Tuesday.

As of Saturday, the lottery had tallied $4.973 billion in sales, said Beth Bresnahan. She said the final sales total would be just shy of $5 billion when the fiscal year ends at midnight tonight.

The lottery posted sales of $4.741 billion in fiscal 2012, $4.85 billion in fiscal 2013, and $4.863 billion in fiscal 2014.

Profit this year is expected to reach $935.4 million, said Bresnahan. "We are on track to make that," she said.

That profit, which is returned to cities and towns, is down from recent years because of the growing popularity in high-priced scratch tickets, which return less to the state than other games, Bresnahan said.

Bresnahan, who is leaving her post to become chief executive of the Lynn Daily Item newspaper, said, "The lottery is at a crossroads in terms of where it's going, between the new competition from the casinos and the possibilities that new technology will provide."

She said she thought the lottery's future was "very bright."

But she also said the lottery is monitoring sales for its outlets near the Plainridge Park Casino, which opened last week, looking at sales for 200 agents within a 20-mile radius who sell $122.7 million annually.

The lottery is already working with a number of retailers within a five-mile radius on improved signage and advertising. It will also monitor the impact on its agents near the two other casinos expected to be built under the state casino law, in Everett in the Boston area and in Springfield.

Boston Globe

Comments

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Mass Lottery introduced a $30 scratch card in 2014 and people were scooping up that baby like there's no tomorrow. The card was so successful that they introduced another one earlier this year. I think I'm the only one who has never bought one. I probably will.

music*'s avatarmusic*

 I believe that the players in Massachusetts spend more on Lottery products per person. They are number one in per capita spending compared with other States.

 Go Mega Millions & Power Ball !!Wink

Gleno's avatarGleno

Keep on buying those tickets. The government needs to build more Casinos or  NFL stadiums instead of funding school budgets.

Bed

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

Illinois is last in funding school budgets.

So much for the lottery helping education.

myturn's avatarmyturn

The fact that Massachusetts Lottery offers a subscription service for one game across the United States, boost it's revenue. It should offer the same service for all games and generate more revenue for the state.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by myturn on Jul 1, 2015

The fact that Massachusetts Lottery offers a subscription service for one game across the United States, boost it's revenue. It should offer the same service for all games and generate more revenue for the state.

if you know someone, or visit in person like I will in a few weeks, you can purchase Lucky for Life and Mega Millions sans Megaplier season tickets.  With the lucky for Life you get 14 draws for free via subscription.  To the best of my knowledge, no other state does this with their subscription service. 

 

On a side note, kudos to the Virginia Lottery on their scratch games.  When all the top prizes are gone, they close the game.  So if there are three 1 million winners and all are sold, the game ends.  I wish all state lotteries would follow this lead.  Currently lottery guru (me) has to look up each individual state lottery to see what top prizes remain.

 

In regards to that antiquated 1961 law forbidding lottery sales across state lines I contacted the national ACLU (yes, I'm a card carrying member) and they didn't even respond to my request of what I feel is a violation of my First Amendment rights...oh well.

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Quote: Originally posted by myturn on Jul 1, 2015

The fact that Massachusetts Lottery offers a subscription service for one game across the United States, boost it's revenue. It should offer the same service for all games and generate more revenue for the state.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by Raven62 on Jul 1, 2015

Do you know about the subscription prom? http://www.masslottery.com/games/promotions/SeasonTicketPromo-July2015.html

Yes,

 

They mailed out the information this week.  It is the same type of envelope they use when you win something, so naturally thought it was a check!

The Mass. lottery will not have Powerball for its subscription services.  Said the matrix is changing in October with the first five #'s  going from 59 to 69 and the Powerball # decreasing from 35 to 26.  Price stays the same and they did not post the new odds.

myturn's avatarmyturn

 

In Fiscal Year 2014, the Massachusetts State Lottery returned $974.5 million in net profit to the Commonwealth, of which $920.2 million in Direct Local Aid was distributed to the 351 cities and towns.

Lottery revenues are distributed to the 351 cities and towns of the Commonwealth according to a local aid formula established by Legislature. Lottery funds are not earmarked for any specific programs, allowing cities and towns to choose how they would like to spend the funds. For example, hiring new police officers or purchasing firefighting equipment.

Salam1

Mass Lottery is a scam.  Bought 6 $20 scratchers and all lost.  I love how on their website it says beware of scams.

mikeintexas's avatarmikeintexas

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Jun 30, 2015

 I believe that the players in Massachusetts spend more on Lottery products per person. They are number one in per capita spending compared with other States.

 Go Mega Millions & Power Ball !!Wink

I think that's correct.  I also believe there are other states in the region that aren't far behind, Delaware and Rhode Island.   I also remember reading that Mass. pays out the most in proportion to money spent.  The last I read, N. Dakota was on the other end of the spectrum, spending the least per capita on the lottery.   I wonder how the recent oil boom there and the availability of good-paying jobs factor into the rankings?  I would think that, with a lot more discretionary income, people there would spend more on the lottery, but I guess they spend more on the "boom town" vices of drinking, drugs,  prostitution and other forms of gambling than on the lottery.

I read an article a yr. or two ago that said lottery spending was more than that on sports tickets, movies, books, video games and music combined.

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