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Texas Lottery hires interim director to full-time postNews Story
FLASH: New lottery director may change computerized Megaplier to real lottery ball drawing, expert says computerized drawings flawed Anthony Sadberry, a longtime Houston attorney who led a reorganization of the Texas Lottery in the past five months as acting director, was named the agency's permanent head Wednesday. Sadberry's hiring was widely expected among agency observers and staff, many of whom have praised his straightforward and hands-on approach. Commission Chairman C. Tom Clow
Jun 29, 2006, 11:12 am - Lottery News

Big scratch games reinvigorate lottery salesNews Story
High-priced scratch-off tickets have revived lottery sales, restoring growth to a state-run business that had sagged in the face of casino and Internet gambling. The introduction of instant-win tickets that cost $10, $20 and $30 - and offer top prizes of $1 million or more - has set lottery sales on fire in many states. Scratch-off ticket sales soared 59% from 2001 to 2005. That's six times as much as the 10% increase during that time for Powerball, Mega Millions and other traditional lottery
Jun 26, 2006, 7:42 am - Lottery News

Tenn. Lottery sexual harassment allegations exposedNews Story
Details released on harassment complaints; ex-lottery executive accused of groping The staff had just launched a huge project and it was time to celebrate: A shindig at the Maxwell House hotel. There was fun. There was drinking. There was dancing. But some of the female workers complained that things went too far. A male executive grabbed me on my butt, one woman later reported. It was long enough to know his hand was there. Immediately pushed him away and moved. The scene was th
May 31, 2006, 8:55 am - Lottery News

Texas Lottery shake-up sparks optimismNews Story
The Texas Lottery's enforcement division was restored this week and the role of a longtime agency official has been reduced in a shake-up that follows nearly a year of public scrutiny over security, ethics and the treatment of employees at the $3 billion agency. Employees and lottery observers said Tuesday they were optimistic about the changes, hoping they can improve employee morale, security and public confidence in the agency. I have hopes and aspirations it will be a good deal, but i
May 31, 2006, 6:56 am - Lottery News

Texas Lottery audit finds security flawsNews Story
The Texas Lottery Commission needs to better enforce its computer system security policies and more effectively ensure that its main contractor is conducting background checks on its employees, according to a state auditor's report obtained Wednesday. The report, which is scheduled for public release on Friday, said security at the lottery is generally satisfactory. But the auditors identified several significant security weaknesses, especially in the area of system access. For example,
May 4, 2006, 10:00 am - Lottery News

Illinois Lottery hires Bernie MacNews Story
Add comedian Bernie Mac to the list of people who've hit the lottery jackpot. Mac is receiving $500,000 for about 2-1/2 days of work endorsing a new state lottery game in what lottery officials are calling a phenomenal deal because of the success of his television show. But Mac's six-figure paycheck is drawing criticism from state lawmakers who would like to see the money spent elsewhere. For nearly $23,000 an hour, Mac will lend his name and likeness for two TV ads, two radio ads and
Mar 20, 2006, 7:26 am - Lottery News

Ky. Lottery Under Fire For Scratch-Off TicketsNews Story
In a state known for horse racing and basketball, the ticket of choice for Kentuckians gets scratched every day. Scratch-off lottery tickets account for 56 percent of all lottery sales. Instant lottery ticket sales last year were in the neighborhood of $385 million. This year it'll be over $400 million, Arch Gleason, Kentucky Lottery president, said. The Kentucky Lottery offers about 80 games a year, and these scratch-off tickets typically stay in a store for about three to four month
Mar 2, 2006, 10:09 am - Lottery News

Fire forces evacuation at Oregon Lottery BuildingNews Story
The Salem Fire Department responded to a structure fire, located at 500 Airport Road S.E., The Oregon Lottery Building, on Wednesday March 1, 2006 at 10:55 am. Firefighters were first called out to this location due to a fire alarm system activation. When firefighters arrived, they discovered smoke on the second floor of the structure. They used thermal imaging cameras and discovered fire in the ceiling of the second floor hallway. Captain Don Fleck requested a first alarm assignment
Mar 2, 2006, 6:31 am - Lottery News

Texas lottery players want to get rid of 'bonus ball'News Story
Players are letting the Texas Lottery Commission know in sometimes blunt and colorful language that they want the bonus ball to be bounced out of the Lotto game. The panel that oversees lottery operations is expected to vote next week on a proposal to return the game to a format resembling the one that was thrown out a little more than three years ago because officials were concerned about its profitability. But they ran into a problem when the new game proved to be about 30 percent less pr
Feb 24, 2006, 10:23 am - Lottery News

Same lottery numbers win game twiceNews Story
Got a lucky lotto number? You might want to stick with it. Wisconsin lottery officials report the same combination has won the SuperCash game twice within ten days. SuperCash is drawn using a computerized drawing machine, rather than a traditional lottery ball machine. The winning numbers 4, 5, 10, 16, 25 and 29 came up January 30th and again February 9th. State lottery mathematician JonMichael Rasmus says the odds of that happening are about one in 326,000. He says it's like flipp
Feb 14, 2006, 2:09 pm - Lottery News