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Minnesota Lottery to cut ties with bass eventNews Story
The Minnesota State Lottery will not sponsor any fishing tournaments this year, Gov. Tim Pawlenty's chief of staff said Thursday.Dan McElroy said interim lottery director Michael Vekich plans to drop the Minnesota Pro/Am Bass Tour promotion. The lottery spent at least $65,000 a year over the past four summers to sponsor the fishing tournaments and solicited money from other sponsors on its behalf, according to lottery records.Former lottery director George Andersen, who killed himself last month
Feb 13, 2004, 7:21 am - Lottery News

Bill created to clean up Colorado lotteryNews Story
Concerned over an audit that found problems with the Colorado Lottery, lawmakers began work Tuesday on a bill that would require ethics training and criminal background checks of all lottery officials, including the governor's appointees. The lottery is the kind of thing we need to clean up in state government, said Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, chairman of the Legislative Audit Committee.The bill would require lottery commissioners, who are appointed by the governor, to undergo ethics training, ba
Feb 11, 2004, 6:06 am - Lottery News

Minn. lottery director helped steer business to friend's firmNews Story
The late director of the Minnesota State Lottery helped a friend's company keep a lucrative lottery contract, the Star Tribune reported on Saturday.George Andersen was found dead of an apparent suicide on Jan. 27, a day after meeting with auditors who were probing his relationship with the company, Media Rare. The public relations firm was founded by Andersen's friend Michael Priesnitz.Auditors have questioned several lucrative contracts that Andersen approved between the lottery and Media Rare.
Feb 9, 2004, 6:01 am - Lottery News

Nebraska Probing Lottery Official's TripNews Story
An investigation into the director of the Nebraska Lottery focuses on a trip he and his wife took to Greece that was paid for by a lottery vendor, the attorney general said Thursday.The trip was legitimate business for lottery chief James Quinn, but state law bars public officials from accepting gifts of travel or lodging for their spouse while on state business, Attorney General Jon Bruning said. Quinn recently reimbursed the vendor for his wife's expenses, officials said.The $5,000 trip was pa
Feb 6, 2004, 6:35 am - Lottery News

Nebraska's Top Lottery Official SuspendedNews Story
The head of the Nebraska lottery has been suspended pending an investigation of gifts involving a vendor, officials said.Jim Quinn, who has been director of the lottery since its creation in 1993, was suspended earlier this week, said Terri Teuber, spokeswoman for Gov. Mike Johanns. It has nothing to do with the operation of the lottery, she said. It has to do with accepting gifts. Quinn did not immediately return a message Wednesday.State law prohibits elected officials and employees of the e
Feb 4, 2004, 2:56 pm - Lottery News

Colorado Lottery contracts not renewedNews Story
The Colorado Department of Revenue will not extend two key Colorado Lottery contracts, choosing instead to seek new bids for advertising and public relations services.The move comes in the midst of a criminal probe into the timing of gifts given to top Lottery officials by vendors doing business with the agency and as Department of Revenue Executive Director M. Michael Cooke reviews all of the Lottery's contracts to make sure they were crafted fairly. It's a perfect time for us to look at these
Feb 4, 2004, 5:26 am - Lottery News

Colorado lottery official retires amid controversyNews Story
Turner leaves post after questions about his conductA week after facing questions about whether he had offered immunity from prosecution to three gambling regulators who worked under him, a senior state Department of Revenue official abruptly retired.George Turner, one of the most powerful bureaucrats at the department, who for years oversaw the state's lottery and casino industry, had been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 6 while officials investigated.He gave his notice to retire from h
Jan 31, 2004, 6:37 pm - Lottery News

Lottery director's ties to St. Paul vendor probedNews Story
Auditors probing the business dealings of Minnesota State Lottery director George Andersen have been pursuing a claim that he steered thousands of dollars of lottery money to a vendor he controlled.Andersen was found unconscious Tuesday outside his home in Hugo. He had a self-inflicted wound to his wrist, and a knife was found nearby, authorities said. A preliminary autopsy report released Wednesday called his death a suicide and said he died from hypothermia due to exposure.Andersen died a day
Jan 30, 2004, 6:42 am - Lottery News