LANSING, Mich. — Since it began in Michigan last Thanksgiving, Internet lottery sales have mushroomed along with the number of players using their smartphones and personal computers to play.
In November 2015, the State Lottery Bureau, without fanfare, moved into the Internet gaming market, making it easier for players to bet from home instead of driving to the nearest lottery store to place a wager.
At the outset there were about 86,000 players who registered with the state for the Internet games.
The number of players has mushroomed over 300% to about 322,000 players.
Local senator Rick Jones originally opposed the expansion of gaming but now he's all in.
The increased Internet betters have pumped $147 million additional dollars into state coffers with $14 million of that going to Michigan schools.
And the Lottery Bureau is predicting those numbers will increase over the next eight years to an additional $480 million.
This local lawmaker is not a betting enthusiast but still says the state ought to be regulating this and making the money.
Rep. Andy Schor said, "You know if they're going to do it. We should probably regulate it and we should probably grab some tax dollars off of it. I think that people can gamble if they want to gamble."
Plus, as a supporter of education, he likes money flowing into the schools from the Internet gaming.
"Bring in some tax dollars for our kids for the school aid fund and for the general fund at the same time? I'm not against that," Rep. Schor added.
There are some 30 games available on the Internet including new instant games and others. There are no projections on how many more players will forgo the long lines to bet at home.
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I would definitely forgo the long lines if I had an opportunity to bet at home.
This is better than increasing taxes.
Remember back in 1913 when the income tax was first passed by Congress? They said that it would only tax the rich. If their lips are moving they are lying.
Don't fall for their pet statement, "Once and for all". That means always.
There are some 30 games available on the Internet including new instant games and others.
The KY Lottery seems to being doing pretty good with their Online sales too. They offer several instant type games along with PB, MM, and Cash Ball. Eventually all the state lotteries offering Online play will open it up to all their online games including Pick-3 and 4.
I love this service. The bonus feature now is unbeatable. Buy an igift or ifund @ the store for $20 and they give you $5 free when you enter it in your computer.
Michigan will also let you buy 60 consecutive drawings for their lotto 47 and 30 consecutive drawings for Megamillions or Powerball so at least I can stock up when I am in da U.P. Next month.
I believe the idea of the igift is to keep the retailers involved. They added several instant games too.
The only problem that people playing from home creates is the lack of spending at the local store.
The people that used to go to the local store to buy their lottery tickets also used to buy other things while out. And, now that they aren't going out to buy their tickets, they also aren't spending on other items they would usually buy.
It has its good side as well as bad.
I've played 'Ft Knox' scratchers on-line, fitting since I retired from the Army there. You are most likely correct to get folks in the store, but don't you feel the ulterior motive is to get folks hooked on playing on-line?
1. There are pros and cons to just about everything. For instance;
Pro- Now that some people stay home and purchase tickets, there's less pollution in the air
Con- Now that some people stay home and purchase tickets, car mechanics get less business because people are driving less
With this example, I'm pretty confident that we could go on and on about all of the pros/cons of internet lottery sales, and we'd both have valid points.
2. I would assume that most of those 'items they would usually buy' while purchasing tickets at the store were/are/is:
*Cigarettes
*Liquor/Beer
*Groceries
*Gas
Either way, those items are still being purchased in-store regardless of tickets.
3. Now that we have internet lottery sales, lets get the iGaming bill passed in MI. #Fight4Poker
The California Lottery should take note.
The California State Lottery would raise much-needed additional revenue with an online sales service