The Delaware Lottery Office has removed machines from two stores because of undisclosed debts, including a Bear newsstand that long has been one of the state's top ticket sellers, the state lottery director said Thursday.
James T. Doody, owner of The News Basket at Fox Run Shopping Center in Bear, and Books-N-Things Too at Suburban Plaza in Newark, had his license to sell lottery tickets revoked about two weeks ago, director Wayne Lemons said.
Lemons said Doody's two stores, and one he recently sold in Fairfax, owed the state money from lottery sales. Lemons would not divulge the amount or steps being taken by the state to recover the money.
The state's approximately 450 lottery retailers keep 5 percent of ticket revenues plus 1 percent of the value of winning tickets cashed, and are eligible for bonuses based on sales, Lemons said. Proceeds from the lottery contributed $213 million to state government in fiscal 2003, making it Delaware's third-largest revenue source, the Web site said.
Doody, a social studies teacher and former basketball coach at Newark High School, said Thursday he would not discuss his debt but was in the process of selling the two stores.
"This is a complex and long-negotiated process to sell our stores," Doody said. "The settlement dates have been in flux and there's been a number of things that have happened." He would not elaborate.
Doody said he recently sold Fairfax News in Brandywine Hundred, the third store where the state removed machines last month because of unpaid receipts. A Fairfax News clerk said Thursday the store had resumed selling lottery tickets. Lemons said the new owner is a current license holder.
Lemons said The News Basket, located on U.S. 40, has consistently been among the state's top ticket sellers.
"We are not putting lottery players at a big disadvantage," Lemons said. "We have immediate coverage in those areas."
Mr Lemons, how about joining Hot Lotto?