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Minnesota Lottery moves to boost integrityNews Story
Legislation designed to increase accountability at the Minnesota Lottery moved forward Wednesday, while fallout from the lottery's troubles continued.A Senate committee passed a bill that would have the state lottery director serve at the pleasure of the governor, which means he or she can be removed for no reason. Current law requires the governor to show misconduct before firing the director.Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, introduced the bill this year after reports the lottery director may have
Mar 4, 2004, 4:24 am - Lottery News

Minnesota Lottery Cancels $1.3 Million in Contracts with Media RareNews Story
The Minnesota Lottery says it's canceled promotional contracts worth $1.3 million a year with Media Rare.That's the St. Paul company that auditors said received special treatment under former lottery director George Andersen.A lawyer for the lottery says the contract cancellations will be effective April 27. The contracts were for promotional TV and radio shows.The lottery also is considering canceling an additional promotional agreement with the company involving a special vehicle. Already, the
Mar 3, 2004, 4:05 am - Lottery News

Colorado Lottery marketing director put on paid leave, probe continuesNews Story
The director of the Colorado Lottery has placed the Lottery's marketing director on paid administrative leave, and the Cabinet member who oversees the Lottery said Monday that more may follow as a probe into the Lottery continues. I can't say that this is where it ends in terms of employees who are affected, said M. Michael Cooke, chief of the state Department of Revenue. That remains to be seen. Dan Noreen, a longtime Lottery employee making $100,284 a year, was placed on leave Thursday.Noree
Mar 2, 2004, 6:03 am - Lottery News

GTECH says not linked to scandal in BrazilNews Story
A fired government aide met with executives from GTECH's Brazilian unit but was not involved in negotiations West Greenwich, Rhode Island-based GTECH Holdings Corp., the world's biggest supplier of online lottery systems, said yesterday a Brazilian government aide who was fired amid a probe of campaign finance allegations wasn't involved in extending the company's contract in the country.Waldomiro Diniz met with two executives from the company's Brazilian unit last year to discuss a contract dis
Feb 25, 2004, 4:33 am - Lottery News

Minnesota Lottery audit finds high costs, no crimeNews Story
The Minnesota State Lottery spends more money and provides less to the state than comparable lotteries and should revisit its ties to the St. Paul-based marketing company Media Rare Inc., auditors reported Thursday.Legislative Auditor James Nobles released the audit of the lottery about three weeks after former Lottery Director George Andersen died, apparently by suicide. Andersen had met with auditors about the review the day before he was found dead. We found many things to question and critic
Feb 20, 2004, 6:36 am - Lottery News

Head of Nebraska Lottery Resigns After Inquiry Clears HimNews Story
The head of the Nebraska lottery resigned Wednesday, a week after an investigation cleared him of wrongdoing for taking his wife on a trip to Greece that was paid for by a lottery vendor. Looking at this from a professional perspective, I determined that it is probably time for me to move on, James Quinn said in a statement.Quinn and his wife, Kathy, traveled to Greece in September to inspect Intralot USA's operations after the Duluth, Ga., company won a contract to operate the Nebraska lottery
Feb 19, 2004, 7:06 am - Lottery News

Bill outlines changes for Minnesota Lottery operationsNews Story
The Minnesota Lottery would have far less independence from the normal checks and balances of state government under a bill proposed by two legislators. It regularizes this agency, Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope, said Wednesday.Rest and Rep. Tim Wilkin, R-Eagan, the co-chairs of the state Audit Commission, proposed the legislation on the eve of the release of an investigative report on the lottery by Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles.George Andersen, the former lottery director, committed suicide las
Feb 19, 2004, 7:00 am - Lottery News

Extensive Minnesota lottery probe underwayNews Story
Minnesota gambling enforcement agents have begun a sweeping investigation into the Minnesota State Lottery that likely will involve inspecting hundreds of contracts with vendors for any improprieties. It is expected to take months to complete. As far as I'm concerned, there are no boundaries, said Norm Pint, special agent in charge of the gambling enforcement division of the Department of Public Safety, which is conducting the probe.Pint said Wednesday that the investigation was prompted by the
Feb 19, 2004, 6:58 am - Lottery News

Nebraska Lottery Director Cleared in TripNews Story
The Nebraska Lottery director will not face criminal charges over a trip to Greece with his wife, whose expenses were paid by a lottery vendor, the attorney general said Thursday.An investigation concluded James Quinn always intended to repay the $5,000 cost of his wife's trip, Attorney General Jon Bruning said. Public officials are banned from accepting gifts of travel or lodging for their spouse while on state business.Quinn, who has been suspended with pay, did not return a message left at hi
Feb 13, 2004, 7:39 am - Lottery News

Lottery director's friend also tried to commit suicide, report saysNews Story
The state's finance commissioner had been actively reviewing the management of the Minnesota State Lottery when lottery director George Andersen committed suicide.Dan McElroy, who is now Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief of staff, had found enough lapses to warrant a sharp letter to Andersen but he told reporters Thursday he didn't discover anything that suggested Andersen had done anything criminal. He said he isn't sure whether Andersen would have lost his job over the findings. I'm not aware of any a
Feb 13, 2004, 7:31 am - Lottery News