Minnesota Lottery suspended during government shutdown

Comment #52

time*treat — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 23:27:51 GMT

They wait until the offices re-open and then go claim their prize. Same as when the offices close for a 3-day weekend.

Comment #51

rdgrnr — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 23:23:30 GMT

The point (insult) he was trying to make, Louise, was that there was only one person here (besides him) that had the intellect to understand Civics or possessed basic reading and comprehension skills.

Then, while lecturing us on that, he spelled a very simple word wrong.

He made himself look like a big dummy.

I only commented on it.

And you know I'm always fair with the democrats, Louise.

Comment #50

louise black — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:54:26 GMT

Oh , Rdgrnr the man made a good point about the Civics part , but I don't think you guys are stupid ,you almost always make good sense until, you starts to talk about Democrats.

Comment #49

maringoman — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 23:49:53 GMT

What about those people who buy the same numbers for powerball or megamillions or others and those numbers are drawn before the shutdown is lifted? suicide? lawsuit? fainting?

God forbid

Comment #48

CashWinner$ — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 23:27:44 GMT

Saw this in our state paper: Minnesota will lose approximately $2.3 Million in profits from weekly lottery sales..

(And next week, 22,000 freshly laid-off state workers will begin collecting unemployment)...

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Ahhhh, the sticker-shock

Comment #47

rdgrnr — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 15:58:21 GMT

Yes, I know that.

But what's your point

Comment #46

TnTicketlosers — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:18:53 GMT

All the states in this country that have lottery are the only ones making money.They keep ripping people off so bad like Tennessee till you dont want to play anymore.As far as I care they can shut this one down too.Every one pours their extra coins into the lottery,hopeing to make some extra money,it doesnt go to the places that need it the most like stores,gas,eating out,,etc.And still keep losing to the lottery,so we all lose and the lottery keeps winning.

Comment #45

CashWinner$ — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:02:48 GMT

@ Littleoldlady:

Scott Walker is Governor of Wisconsin. Republican.

Mark Dayton is Governor of Minnesota. Democrat.

Comment #44

Littleoldlady — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:35:03 GMT

Scott Walker is a republican not a democrat.

Comment #43

dpoly1 — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:26:14 GMT

Noooooooooo

Not the lottery ...........................

Yikes

Comment #42

Kandikorn — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:14:12 GMT

They had an emergency because they probably was in there stealing.. Fix the lottery, their scamming us all out of thousands of dollars

Comment #41

Kandikorn — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:13:21 GMT

They had an emergency because they probably was in there stealing.. Fix the lottery, their scamming us all out of thousands of dollars

Comment #40

sully16 — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:27:05 GMT

Let me tell you a little story, some years back,(PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR) In this tiny little state called Michigan, Our lady govenor was going to shut down the state, including racetracks, casinos, lottery, anything that required a state inspector.

Now lets go back 1 year before,The state also has bingo halls or I should say the state has

a 5013C non-profit status for the Democratic committees, they have hundreds of bingo licenses , and the year before the election the state cancelled

Comment #39

haymaker — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:54:56 GMT

and now a word from our sponser,pt barnum.ha-ha

Comment #38

Coin Toss — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:13:54 GMT

An update from Up Nort'

Word on the street in St Paul says that some system sellers and players were posing as lotto vendors, telling players that the Minn. lotto was going with handwritten tickets.

They were running a special, six tickets for $5.

Comment #37

rdgrnr — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:27:10 GMT

You guys talking about you don't understand... ...need to read more articles or brush up on Civics.

Thanks for the advice!

Oh, and by the way, what are utilies?

Should we brush up on utilies?

Thanks ever so much

Comment #36

rdgrnr — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:09:41 GMT

The next time you want to insult us about how stupid we are, please make sure to spell everything right.

Otherwise you look like a big dummy.

Thanks ever so much.

Comment #35

sully16 — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:36:31 GMT

Thanks Jade, I wonder if those government paychecks will shut down also, will the government workers also have to turn in the government cars?

I think the lottery is self sustaining and pays for itself, shoudn't need to be shut down, this is clearly a power play in politics, designed to point blame and gain popularity.

Comment #34

GASMETERGUY — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:20:04 GMT

I am not that familiar with Minn. laws so you might be right. But in civics class I learned about pseudo-government agencies. These agencies operate outside of the state's budget. Lotteries are separate entities in and of themselves. In all the states with which I am familiar, the lottery is just such an agency. Their money comes from the selling of lotto tickets. Employees and ticket sellers get paid from the funds they (and not the state) collect. They are not tied to the state's budget in any... [ More ]

Comment #33

time*treat — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:04:06 GMT

Hey, quit pickin' on Tony Bag-a-doughnuts. He's not so bad, just a lil' misunderstood is all.

Gets kinda upset if yas don't pay him on time.

As an aside, when did any state or the U.S. suddenly care about following a pesky Constitution

Comment #32

Hermanus104 — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:03:07 GMT

When I look at the daily results page, it looks like Minnesota has still been conducting drawings. For example, yesterday's winning 3-ball number was 473.

Comment #31

JPJohnson — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:21:05 GMT

Thank you. At least somoene here has an understanding of Civics and/or reading comprehension.

Comment #30

Longarm — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 05:54:36 GMT

I think we're misunderstanding exactly what happened. The lottery wasn't shut down to save money; it wasn't shut down because of a lack of funds. It was shut down due to failure to pass a budget. The US Constitution says that money cannot be spent from the national treasury unless it's appropriated by Congress. It's likely that every state constitution has a similar provision that only the legislature can authorize spending money. The immediate problem isn't that the money isn't there, but that... [ More ]

Comment #29

diamondpalace — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:39:11 GMT

They shouldn't have closed down the lottery. This gives the players absolute 0 chance at winning anything. In this economic times we could use it. The states should get their finance in order and keep lottery out of politics. The house always wins so how come it's short of budget?

Changing all my annual option to cash from now on. Just never know Texas might pull off a stunt like this...

Comment #28

Coin Toss — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:36:11 GMT

JPJohnson,

Some one brought up prisons in this thread. States that shut down government don't open the gates. Of course they don't. They don't give the staff the days off either.

Lottery is a source of revenue, as long as it's on the up and up. Saving the salaries of a relatively few to shut off what would have came in is ridiculous.

Try studying up on street civics and real life civics outside of a classroom. What Minnesota just did was create a lot more business for some Tony Bag-a-do... [ More ]

Comment #27

haymaker — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 02:25:15 GMT

its politics,they could keep ppl working and make adj.when there is a settlement,its happend before.

Comment #26

haymaker — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 02:13:37 GMT

yes, same it true when corzine let the casinos shut down,oh wait,he caused the the shutdown and now hes history,except for the damage left in his wake.MILLIONAIRE JACKASS.not a clue abt. the reg. person.

Comment #25

JPJohnson — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 02:10:22 GMT

You guys talking about you don't understand why they can't keep the lottery open during the state government shutdown need to read more articles or brush up on Civics. It's pretty reasonable to assume if the state is not authorized to make payments to employees, utilies, and vendors that the Lottery Comission has no choice to close. Are people going to work for free? Are utility companies going to give them a pass on their bills? Will vendors keep providing services without payment? The Lottery... [ More ]

Comment #24

GASMETERGUY — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 01:16:58 GMT

There are several state agencies that make money for the state. The lottery is just one of them.

The height of stupidity can not be better illustrated than shutting down the lottery and all the other state agencies that bring in revenue. This clouser is nothing more than putting the hurt on the little people. So the next time you hear a democrat saying, I am for the little guy , just remember, he is lying. He is for himself and only himself.

Comment #23

Coin Toss — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:53:11 GMT

joshuacloak,

Wouldn't it have made sense to leave OPEN those offices that BRING IN revenue?

BINGO!

Typical bureaucratic mindset....we don't want to pay these people $.00000005 to bring in $500,000.

Comment #22

savagegoose — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:26:41 GMT

lol ,

no this is gov ran. non profitable things like prison s are kept running. but income earners like lottery are shutdown.

just think like bizarro world. everything the opposite of common sense, and you can get a job there.

Comment #21

time*treat — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 16:28:05 GMT

The annuity payments don't come from the state lottery, itself. The payments come from an insurance company (same as if you took the cash value and bought yourself an annuity).

People waiting on annuity payments will still get their checks.

Comment #20

wpb — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 15:24:01 GMT

It will be worse if and when the US goverment shutdown. Just think of what that will mean to all states.

Comment #19

faber98 — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:51:45 GMT

hope they never solve their shutdown problem and everyone moves out of that mosquito infested state of 10,000 lakes...the only good thing to come out of that state was the minnesota strip if you know what i mean....

Comment #18

Wooddrive — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:49:36 GMT

all these states that have budget problems are a joke. when an entity has a monopoly on a great product there is no way in hell not to make a profit. its just greed by management and laziness by the employees.

Comment #17

dallascowboyfan — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 11:38:18 GMT

Comment #16

joshuacloak — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 07:01:21 GMT

Wouldn't it have made sense to leave OPEN those offices that BRING IN revenue?

these people Don't make Sense,just like people have no sense going to voting booth as they vote for ever idiot under the sun

sadly, people are just to snip stupid. and this shutting down a profit that funds something for the state

yup, shutdown

its all very simple, you just don't spend what you don't Have, money, and money you do have, you don't waste it. by giving it to poor people who Waste it... [ More ]

Comment #15

Coin Toss — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 04:19:57 GMT

Not sure, but yet another reason to always take the cash.

Comment #14

JADELottery — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 04:16:06 GMT

Oo..oo.

I'd be pizzed.

Comment #13

redhot7 — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 04:14:44 GMT

What happens to those who receive annuity payment from the lottery

Comment #12

JADELottery — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 04:10:06 GMT

Here's what is going to suck for MN if the Mega Millions or Powerball get to very larger Jackpots.

I WILL GO TO WISCONSIN to get my TIX

Comment #11

JADELottery — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 04:07:21 GMT

From MN Lottery FAQ

Shutdown FAQ

Now that the Lottery is closed, what will happen?

Like many other state agencies, the Lottery will close on July 1st since a budget agreement was not finalized. You will not be able to purchase Lottery tickets or redeem winning tickets during the shutdown period. Lottery terminals at retailer locations will not allow those transactions. Winning tickets under $600 can still be cashed at Lottery retailers until 11:59 on June 30th.

When will I kn... [ More ]

Comment #10

Dollar419 — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 03:49:49 GMT

I hope you did get your money back. Hang in there

Comment #9

Dollar419 — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 03:46:20 GMT

I totally agree with you, if the lotteries run by private companies, they could not shut down the lottery because they cannot balance the budget, and therefore the revenues would continue to come in. This is very bad decision and I feel sorry for all of the lottery players in the State of Minnesota

HANG IN THERE

Comment #8

rdgrnr — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:36:34 GMT

I've seen it on the news.

Dem Governor won't agree to cut spending, insists on more spending and raising taxes to cover it.

Just the thing that got them into this mess.

But you have to wonder about people who would elect Stuart Smalley to the Senate anyway. (Anybody have that picture of him in the diapers with the baby bottle?) That picture should be their state symbol, lol.

Comment #7

haymaker — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:33:45 GMT

this happend in jersey 2 years ago,POLITICS.thats all.

Comment #6

haymaker — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:30:52 GMT

this happened in jersey 2 years ago you're $ should be OK.

Comment #5

CashWinner$ — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:26:34 GMT

Thankfully, we live close enough to the state line, that we could hop-over still get our tickets....Whew -

Hope our government gets their act together soon though! We need our lotto-fix

Comment #4

myturn — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:14:46 GMT

This is incredibly stupid! Whatever one may think of the state government, the lottery is generating revenue for the state and should continue, regardless of what else is happening in the state. I am against privatizing state lotteries, however, if it prevents lunacy like this, maybe it is the way to go.

People should respond my playing out of that lotteries and let their elected officials know. If you can't travel, you can play the Massachusetts lottery by phone, and you don't need to r... [ More ]

Comment #3

time*treat — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:08:23 GMT

Wouldn't it have made sense to leave OPEN those offices that BRING IN revenue

Comment #2

TRUEBELIEVER — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:08:17 GMT

When you shut down the lottery you know things are bad i never heard of lottery shutting down.

Comment #1

JADELottery — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:01:52 GMT

No drawings, too?

Hmm, I bought multiple draw tickets, do I get my money back if they have no drawings as well

Minnesota Lottery suspended during government shutdown

Lottery Post — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 01:51:37 GMT

By Todd Northrop

The budget impasse in the Minnesota state capital is having a widespread effect across the state including at the state lottery.

Many state services, including the Minnesota state lottery, ceased operations Friday.

The Lottery closed all its offices 5 p.m. Thursday, and no lottery tickets were available for sale after 11:59 p.m. During the shutdown, lottery tickets cannot be validated or paid out.

Players currently holding winning tickets should sign them immediately... [ More ]