Search

Big lottery vendor dogged by controversyNews Story
GTECH expected to bid for online games in TennesseeScandal and suspicion have marked GTECH's 22 years in the lottery business. But so has spectacular success.The company, which is expected to bid on the Tennessee lottery's online games contract, helps run lotteries in 26 states and 42 other countries. Its revenues exceed $1 billion a year, spokesman Bob Vincent said.But GTECH, which is based in West Greenwich, R.I., also has run into trouble, especially in the 1990s. In Georgia, where Tennessee
Oct 20, 2003, 7:59 am - Lottery News

Is Rebecca Paul as good as they say?News Story
When state lottery commissioners hired Rebecca Paul as the nation's highest-paid lottery director, they justified their decision by saying she was the best, the gold standard. State Sen. Steve Cohen dubbed her the Michael Jordan of her field.But a Tennessean review has found that many of the claims surrounding her are overstated.For instance, Paul said last month that Georgia lottery sales had grown on average 13% a year during her tenure. Lottery commissioners cited similar increases in ex
Oct 20, 2003, 7:52 am - Lottery News

Russia's First Lottery Bill Moves to SenateNews Story
The State Duma on Friday passed in the third reading a bill on lotteries that will be Russia's first attempt at federally regulating the industry if approved by the Federation Council and signed by the president.The proposed law regulates the lottery industry in Russia by specifying types and standards of lotteries, rules for organizing lotteries, the system for exercising control over the organization of lotteries, the liability of lottery operators and other measures.Lotteries are divided into
Oct 20, 2003, 4:02 am - Lottery News

Accomplishments of Ex-Lottery Director QuestionedNews Story
Newspaper Disputes Education SubsidyRebecca Paul was hired to start Tennessee's lottery and is paid more than her peers because of her success running Georgia's games.But some of Paul's accomplishments during her time in Georgia are overstated, according to a review by The Tennessean newspaper.For example, Paul said last month that Georgia lottery sales had grown an average of 13 percent a year during her tenure. While lottery ticket sales in Georgia climbed to $2.6 billion last year from $1.12
Oct 20, 2003, 3:55 am - Lottery News

'Enough,' Bredesen warns lottery chiefNews Story
Hire homegrown, lower-paid people, governor suggestsGov. Phil Bredesen says he wants Tennessee lottery chief Rebecca Paul to stop stacking her staff with former employees from the Georgia lottery and paying out top-dollar salaries. I honestly think we have enough Georgians now and we have enough high-salary people, and I'm anxious to get on with the business of building this lottery, Bredesen told reporters yesterday. We've accommodated what she wanted, but enough is enough. Paul has so far hir
Oct 18, 2003, 1:53 pm - Lottery News

Sparks fly at N.C. lottery forumNews Story
The arguing, at times, seemed personal on a panel which featured everyone from lawmakers to ministers.At issue -- just how much money is being lost to border states like South Carolina, which has a lottery. The state has noticed most sales tax rise in history on things like chips since the lottery came, said panelist Gardner Payne. We're losing that money to those states. Last December, North Carolina drivers poured across the border for the $100-million-plus Powerball drawing.Governor Easley
Oct 17, 2003, 4:48 am - Lottery News

Blind Lottery Vendor Losing Braille MachineNews Story
A legally blind man who has been selling lottery tickets since the California Lottery began says he's being left behind because the state is upgrading its lottery machines.John Friesen has been in business for 26 years operating a concession stand in the lobby of the State Resources building, and in that time he's sold thousands of lottery tickets. A machine with a Braille key pad and chirping tones guides him through lottery transactions. It's beeping each time I do a function, so it tells me w
Oct 17, 2003, 4:44 am - Lottery News

S.D. Lottery investigating system failureNews Story
The South Dakota Lottery has asked a private company to explain why connections to the central lotto computer system failed, leaving many retailers unable to sell lotto tickets for nearly 2 1/2 hours last Saturday night.It was the third network outage since early July, said Clint Harris, executive director of the Lottery.Phone lines and equipment connecting the Lottery and retail outlets to a central lotto computer system in Dover, Del., and backup site in Sharon Hill, Pa., failed.It kept most o
Oct 17, 2003, 4:40 am - Lottery News

Tenn. Lottery hires another Georgia veteranNews Story
The Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. on Thursday lured another Georgian to pilot its new lottery.Sidney Chambers was named senior vice president of sales and marketing. He formerly worked at the Georgia Lottery. At least two others have already left for Tennessee, including former Georgia Lottery director Rebecca Paul.Tennessee also has hired Wanda Young Wilson, who will be the games executive vice president and general counsel _ a position similar to her previous job in Georgia.Chambers has wo
Oct 17, 2003, 4:34 am - Lottery News

Treasurer takes top post with Tenn. lotteryNews Story
New job pays Adams $180,000Tennessee State Treasurer Steve Adams, who has held the post since 1987, is resigning Oct. 24 to become chief administrative officer of the Tennessee Lottery, with a pay raise of at least $50,000, the lottery announced Thursday.Adams, 52, is one of the three state constitutional officers appointed by the state legislature, along with the comptroller and the secretary of state.Gov. Phil Bredesen will appoint an interim successor until the legislature convenes in Janua
Oct 17, 2003, 4:32 am - Lottery News