Lottery vending machines considered in Kansas

May 9, 2017, 8:24 am (6 comments)

Kansas Lottery

Kansas lawmakers are mulling over the possibility of legalizing lottery vending machines as a means to fund the state's struggling mental health system. Such machines are used in 37 other lottery states.

The idea, floated by Rep. Chuck Weber, R-Wichita, is expected to increase funding to mental health services by $12 million over two years. Kansas has been under extreme budget stress the past few years as it looks for new ways to fund state programs. The recession and budget cuts resulted in a loss of $30 million toward mental health programs in the state during the past eight years, according to media reports.

"Do I think it's great policy? Not necessarily, but we cannot sustain any more cuts," said Kyle Kessler, executive director of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas Inc.

Weber said, "I'm not a big gambling guy, but if we're going to expand access, then maybe this is a way to turn something I'm not terribly excited about and turn it into a positive," he said.

Anti-gambling advocates are worried minors might buy tickets from the vending machines. They add that giving people the ability to buy lottery tickets in this manner might be counter-productive for those with a gambling addiction, itself considered a mental health problem.

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Comments

MaximumMillions

I think it's great, played on one once and found it very convenient. 

If they want to keep minors from playing they could make it so you have to swipe your cc first (or something else that verifies your age)

Minors can also buy from clerks who don't care or forget to ask for age.

Bleudog101

I missed the boat on this one; how does have lottery machines raise more revenue?

MaximumMillions

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on May 9, 2017

I missed the boat on this one; how does have lottery machines raise more revenue?

More points of sales means more opportunity for people to buy tickets. If they are operable without a separate lotto counter they can just stand around like cigarette vending machines. In airports for instance.

Accessible after hours too, possibly.

Stuffy

Oh please! What happened to the lottery money being used for schools? Nope it all goes into a general fund and wasted elsewhere. This state is a big joke, just today those crooked politicans in Topeka are talking of a major tax hike. We are being taxed unfairly while the business people pay squat. So don't sit up there saying lies. The money from these machines won't go where they say.

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

Well considering that the state tree is a telephone pole........

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by MaximumMillions on May 9, 2017

More points of sales means more opportunity for people to buy tickets. If they are operable without a separate lotto counter they can just stand around like cigarette vending machines. In airports for instance.

Accessible after hours too, possibly.

Been some time ago, but you couldn't buy PB or MM tickets @ certain hours of the night or should I say before 0530?  You can buy them on-line though.

End of comments
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