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Texas Lottery executive had no hint before firingNews Story
Weighing his words carefully when asked if he was the fall guy in the growing scandal over inflated Texas Lotto jackpots, Lee Deviney said only that his dismissal last month from the Texas Lottery Commission came with no prior warning. In any job you have good days and bad, but the majority of time I felt (my bosses) were happy with me, Deviney said by telephone Thursday while vacationing with his family in Colorado.Happy enough, he said, that he was awarded a 4 percent raise last October and a
Jul 1, 2005, 10:30 am - Lottery News

Texas Lottery chief could face punishment for inflated jackpotsNews Story
The Texas Lottery Commission chairman laid blame for inflated lottery jackpots squarely on the agency's chief Wednesday, hinting to state lawmakers that executive director Reagan Greer could be punished.Chairman C. Tom Clowe was asked by members of the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee who specifically had deceived lottery players by advertising phony estimated jackpots four times since last fall.Mr. Clowe answered: The person who made the decision [to sign off on the esti
Jul 1, 2005, 9:42 am - Lottery News

Texas Lottery officials testify that public was deceivedNews Story
Texas Lottery Commission Chairman C. Thomas Clowe told lawmakers Wednesday that the public was deceived by recently inflated jackpot estimates and vowed the agency would take action to keep it from happening again.Clowe said lottery Executive Director Reagan Greer was responsible for the deception but declined to say if he should be fired. This was a deception, and it was wrong, said Clowe, who opened nearly four hours of testimony on the inflated jackpots before the House Licensing and Adminis
Jun 30, 2005, 12:30 pm - Lottery News

Texas Lottery Whistleblower FiredNews Story
The scandal embroiling the Texas Lottery Commission over inflated jackpot estimates intensified Wednesday when top agency officials acknowledged firing a colleague who only days earlier warned ticket sales would fall short of advertised amounts.Mike Fernandez, the commission's administrator, called horrendous the timing of the dismissal of Lee Deviney, the agency's chief financial officer.But he denied there was any connection between Deviney's firing and an e-mail Deviney sent his superiors l
Jun 30, 2005, 11:54 am - Lottery News

Texas lawmakers to grill lottery officials about inflated jackpotsNews Story
Texas lottery officials could face tough questions and some nasty wrist-slapping today when they testify before lawmakers about inflating several Texas Lotto jackpot estimates.But they would face more scrutiny under a bill filed Tuesday that forces the lottery to comply with laws against deceptive trade practices.Sen. Jane Nelson said recent revelations that lottery officials advertised bigger jackpots than they could afford to pay out jeopardize the integrity of the game and the government that
Jun 29, 2005, 5:36 pm - Lottery News

Texas Lottery chief admits jackpots were inflatedNews Story
[Editor: After reading the story, be sure to watch the video report that follows, which provides interesting interviews of the key individuals in this report.]If you've been playing Texas Lotto lately, you may have been playing for less than you thought.Texas Lottery officials admitted Friday they inflated their jackpot numbers on four separate occasions. I will be studying it very closely and clearly to be sure this doesn't happen again, Texas Lottery Commission Executive Director Reagan Greer
Jun 27, 2005, 12:26 pm - Lottery News

Illinois lottery ad agency off the hookNews Story
A special audit of the Illinois Lottery's chief ad agency found the company did not keep adequate records to answer key questions about millions of dollars in payments from the state.However, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration said Thursday that the special $60,000 audit answered enough of those questions to vindicate the state's support of R.J. Dale Advertising Public Relations.The forensic audit, conducted by Clifton Gunderson LLP of Oak Brook, concluded that there was no evidence of mis
Jun 24, 2005, 1:36 pm - Lottery News

Texas Lottery jackpot mess has critics enragedNews Story
Editor's Note: The following opinion article is not necessarily the opinion of Lottery Post, but is presented to illustrate how the latest Texas Lottery gaffe has fueled the fires of long-time critics of the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC). The article is written by Ken Rodriguez of the San Antonio Express-News.Ken Rodriguez: How Texas lottery advertised make-believe payoff for suckersThe sleight-of-hand Texas Lottery Commission has done it again. On Wednesday, the commission turned the Texas Lo
Jun 14, 2005, 11:30 am - Lottery News

Texas Lottery has history of jackpot overestimationNews Story
The Texas Lotto jackpot has fallen short of the amount advertised on three occasions since November because of lower-than-anticipated ticket sales, a lottery spokesman said Monday.Sales are running almost 26 percent behind last year's pace, said spokesman Bobby Heith, blaming the problem on increased competition for the Texas gambler's money.Overall lottery sales, including tickets for scratch-off games, are up almost 11 percent over fiscal 2004, he added.A longtime lottery critic filed a false-
Jun 14, 2005, 10:54 am - Lottery News

Illinois Lottery Ad Contract Under ScrutinyNews Story
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Wednesday she wants to know more about a $19 million advertising contract for the state lottery that was the subject of a critical audit earlier this month.Her questions center on the results of a report by Auditor General William Holland that shows R.J. Dale Advertising Public Relations had received $7.1 million to promote the state lottery, but could demonstrate only $2 million worth of work. We have reached out to the auditor general and we will b
May 18, 2005, 9:15 am - Lottery News