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Maryland lottery players winning big with Pick 4News Story
Gamblers in Maryland are getting lucky, and that's bad news for the state lottery. The Maryland Lottery is losing more money than it expected to on its Pick 4 game, said Stephen Martino, director of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. The lottery's revenue is down through the first month of this fiscal year largely because of winnings it's paying out to Pick 4 players. Pick 4 sales are up and players are winning more often than usual. Our Pick 4 is killing us, Martino said at
Aug 17, 2014, 8:00 am - Lottery News

More people playing, winning in SC LotteryNews Story
The South Carolina Education Lottery announced Monday it set records for ticket sales and the amount of money raised for education in the last fiscal year. It also set records for the amount of prize money paid out and the commissions paid to lottery retailers. Lottery revenue was more than $1.26 billion for the year. Ticket sales grew by $66 million, which meant the amount that got deposited into the lottery's education account was $323.4 million, or $23 million more than the previous year.
Aug 5, 2014, 9:57 am - Lottery News

Is it game over for the Texas Lottery?News Story
Some Texas lawmakers say it may be time to scratch out the lottery. More than two decades after Texas voters legalized the game of chance in the state, a group of lawmakers will soon start reviewing whether to end at multibillion-dollar industry that pumps more than $1 billion a year into schools. Critics say they fear that the game financially hurts some of the most vulnerable Texans and doesn't do enough to help the state. Supporters disagree and question where $1 billion a year can be f
Aug 2, 2014, 8:31 pm - Lottery News

Missouri Gov. orders review of Lottery operationsNews Story
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has asked the state Office of Administration to carry out a comprehensive review of the Missouri Lottery's operations. The lottery posted more than $1.14 billion in sales last year, according to unaudited figures, but its $267.3 million profit (which goes to education funding) was $31 million short of its goal and was below 2006 totals when adjusted for inflation. The governor cited declining lottery and casino revenue in his decision to withhold $35 million of educ
Jul 24, 2014, 10:13 am - Lottery News

Seeing sales slowing, Missouri Lottery officials seek new customersNews Story
For many years, as state revenue has fluctuated and stagnated, the Missouri Lottery has been a welcome outlier, a dependable, sometimes surging revenue stream that rarely failed to post record profits. From 2001-2008, the lottery doubled its sales, to just shy of $1 billion, and its contribution to state education funding (where its profit is directed) reached $265 million. Since then though, the pace has slowed. While sales have continued to tick upward, gone are the years of double-digit
Jul 22, 2014, 7:13 am - Lottery News

N.C. school construction lottery money doesn't really build schoolsNews Story
Includes video report Where does the North Carolina Education Lottery money go? You know, you buy a ticket, you put money into the education lottery, and you think all that money goes to North Carolina schools. But that is not quite how it works. Of every dollar, 61% goes back into the lottery for prizes, 28% goes to education, and 11% go back to retailers and the lottery for administration. Of that 28 percent for schools, the Education Lottery website says 45.8% goes to teacher pay, 20
Jul 10, 2014, 8:50 am - Lottery News

New keno game boosts sales for Kentucky LotteryNews Story
The Kentucky Lottery's new keno game hasn't attracted as many retailers as projected, but sales have exceeded expectations since it launched late last year. Kentucky Lottery Chief Financial Officer Howard Kline told The State Journal that the bingo-style game, which has drawings every five minutes, sold $28.5 million in wagers as of June 21. He says that's about $500,000 more than estimated. Kline said that came despite having only 272 Keno-only retailers sign on to offer the game by the e
Jul 8, 2014, 8:36 am - Lottery News

Keno opens a new fight over Arkansas lotteryNews Story
Arkansas lottery officials won't just be making the case for why they should be allowed to expand their games to include offerings such as keno when the Legislature meets next year. They'll also be making the case for not completely overhauling their structure. Legislation approved in a special session last week that bars the lottery from launching monitor games such as keno until March 13, 2015, ensures that the issue will be at the top of the agenda when lawmakers convene for next year's se
Jul 8, 2014, 8:06 am - Lottery News

NY senator in quest to print ads on lottery ticketsNews Story
A bill from New York state Sen. Diane Savino allowing for ads to be placed on lottery tickets and terminals has passed the Senate, and Ms. Savino said it could raise hundreds of millions of dollars for education without increasing taxes. The bill would allow for ads to be placed on Lotto tickets and Quick Draw terminals. Ms. Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) said that around 137 million tickets were sold in New York alone for the recent $654 million Powerball lottery. Imagine if all thos
Jun 20, 2014, 8:30 am - Lottery News

Illinois legislator urges Gov. to fire company running the lotteryNews Story
Northstar disagrees, says revenue targets met Citing nearly three years of lackluster performance, an Illinois state lawmaker is urging Governor Pat Quinn to fire the company his administration hired to run the Illinois Lottery. State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, said the state's contract with Northstar Lottery Group has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions in lost revenues due to the firm's failure to meet revenue goals. The privatization of the Illinois State Lottery has been nothing
May 15, 2014, 12:13 pm - Lottery News