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Arkansas lottery players now can buy tickets with debit cardsNews Story
Starting this summer, retailers selling tickets for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery will be authorized to accept payment by debit cards, thanks to a new law that zipped through the Legislature in 23 days with little fanfare. Since the lottery started selling tickets on Sept. 28, 2009, the law allowed only cash to be used in transactions. Now Arkansas will join most other state lotteries by allowing debit-card use. Senate Bill 617 sponsored by Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado is now Act 876
Apr 17, 2017, 11:26 am - Lottery News

New Mexico House committee endorses changes in lottery operationsNews Story
Financial bonuses for state lottery officials and contractors would be tied to increases in scholarship money available to New Mexico college students under a bill that got unanimous bipartisan approval from a House committee Monday. House Bill 250, sponsored by Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, also would require the state lottery to transfer money from unclaimed cash prizes usually $2 million to $4 million a year to the lottery scholarships fund. In addition, the bill would halt a pilot p
Feb 28, 2017, 3:40 pm - Lottery News

Georgia Gov. to support casino bill if lottery not impactedNews Story
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said Tuesday he won't oppose legislation that would legalize casino gambling as long as it doesn't devastate the state's popular lottery-funded HOPE scholarship program. We need to be absolutely certain that if a casino bill passes, it doesn't adversely impact a lottery program for the state, he said. That is the first big marker to make sure that we don't devastate what is probably perceived as the most successful lottery program in the country. The governor
Jan 24, 2017, 12:59 pm - Lottery News

State audit questions Georgia Lottery business practices despite record profits to educationNews Story
Georgia sells more lottery tickets per capita than all but one other state lottery, according to a state audit of the Georgia Lottery Corporation, the quasi-governmental agency that runs it. But a steadily declining portion of lottery revenues flow back to the education programs the lottery is required by law to fund, and the corporation that runs the lottery needs to reform its business practices, according to auditors in the Performance Audit Division of the Georgia Department of Audits and
Jan 2, 2017, 5:31 pm - Lottery News

N.M. Lottery chief wants to scrap earmark for educationNews Story
The head of the New Mexico Lottery says his organization could provide more money for students if the Legislature scrapped a requirement pledging 30 percent of ticket sales to college scholarships. David Barden, chief executive officer of the lottery, said eliminating the requirement would allow for larger cash prizes and higher-priced lottery tickets, such as a $20 model. In the long run, Barden said, that change would pay off with more money from the lottery going to the college scholarship
Oct 3, 2016, 7:49 am - Lottery News

Alabama lottery plan could face uphill battleNews Story
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, who said a year ago that lotteries were as old-fashioned as leisure suits, now says they are the best remaining option to boost funding for important state programs, especially Medicaid. State lawmakers return to Montgomery on Monday for a special session to consider the governor's proposal for a lottery to raise money for the state budget. Previously, Bentley has said he did not oppose a lottery proposal going on the ballot for voters, but was not a proponent
Aug 13, 2016, 9:17 am - Lottery News

New Mexico's gas pump lottery sales face legal hurdleNews Story
The Play at the Pump pilot program is facing a legal test regarding how New Mexico customers purchase their Powerball and Mega Millions lottery tickets. As Lottery Post reported last week, consumers can now purchase New Mexico lottery tickets at some gas pumps without having to enter a store. However, the New Mexico House and Ways Committee subsequently objected that state law allows for the purchase of lottery tickets by only cash and checks, not debit cards as used at the pump, and attempts
Aug 9, 2016, 10:40 am - Lottery News

Alabama may try lottery vote in special sessionNews Story
According to Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, Alabama lawmakers are being polled in regard to their support for legislation establishing a lottery ahead of a presumed special session. Gov. Robert Bentley said last week he's considering a special session to tackle budget issues, such as the lingering $85 million gap in the state's Medicaid program. Lawmakers funded up to $700 million for Medicaid, which requires at least $785 million to operate. A special session would be called
Jul 25, 2016, 12:08 pm - Lottery News

Georgia Lottery transfers record-breaking $1.097B to educationNews Story
The Georgia Lottery has transferred a record-breaking $1,097,567,000 to education for the 2016 fiscal year. Lottery officials said this is the first time the Georgia Lottery has transferred more than $1 billion in a single fiscal year, and it is the largest educational transfer in the lottery's 23-year history. We appreciate the commitment from our dedicated lottery and COAM retailers, players, vendor partners and employees. We are grateful to our board of directors for their leadership a
Jul 21, 2016, 6:19 am - Lottery News

Longtime Kentucky Lottery director dies following fallNews Story
Arthur L. Arch Gleason, the longtime head of the Kentucky Lottery Corp. died on Friday following a fall in Cincinnati. Gleason, who was 69, had just announced his retirement three weeks ago after nearly 23 years as president of the Kentucky Lottery. He was the longest-serving lottery head in the nation. I think that's what bothers us most, said Chip Polston, the lottery spokesman. He was finally at the point to enjoy the later years of his life and then this happens. Former Gov. Brere
Jul 5, 2016, 8:24 am - Lottery News