Search

Democrats hold up lottery payouts after Illinois Gov. compromisesNews Story
After Illinois' Republican Governor Bruce Rauner froze the funds that pay out Illinois Lottery earnings last month, the governor made a compromise this week to get the funds flowing again. Now, however, the governor's office says it's the Democrats who are holding up the payouts. House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25th) filed a motion to reconsider on House Bill 4305 after the House passed it yesterday with a 115-1 vote. The bill would free up tax money that has already been collec
Nov 11, 2015, 6:45 pm - Lottery News

Florida lawmakers seek to automate lottery ticket salesNews Story
The Florida Lottery and education in the state go hand in hand, with the department contributing more than $28 billion to education trust funds since 1988. Lawmakers think they can get that number to up with a bill that would make it easier for consumers to buy a ticket. The idea for automated lottery terminals comes from a state study where it has been noted for two years in a row that ticket automation could increase revenues. The Florida Lottery is coming off a record-breaking month. Mo
Nov 10, 2015, 8:30 am - Lottery News

NJ Gov. vetoes bill that would allow lottery ticket home deliveryNews Story
New Jerseyans won't be able to have lottery tickets delivered to their door any time soon. Gov. Chris Christie on Monday vetoed a bill that would have allowed the operation of lottery courier services in the state. Under the measure, the services would have been able to collect a fee and redeem tickets for customers, but they would not have been allowed to take a portion of any winnings. (See Lottery tickets could soon be delivered to your home in N.J., Lottery Post, Mar. 3, 2015.) Sti
Nov 10, 2015, 8:27 am - Lottery News

Bill would allow Florida Lottery tickets to be sold onlineNews Story
Capitalizing on a recent change in federal law, legislation has been filed to allow the Florida Lottery to sell tickets online. The bill, SB 270 by Sen. Gwen Margolis (D-Miami Beach), is aimed at broadening the Lottery's revenue base to include out-of-state customers and occasional players who might be enticed to play more frequently if online tickets were an option. Last year, the Lottery posted a record $5.5 billion in sales. Several states have have already taken advantage of the federa
Sep 16, 2015, 8:06 am - Lottery News

Last try for Alabama lottery dies in Senate committeeNews Story
Legislation that would have authorized a public vote to establish an Alabama Powerball like lottery died this afternoon in a state Senate committee. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Paul Sanford, R-Huntsville, was effectively killed when a majority of senators in the Tourism and Marketing Committee voted against it. That included both Republicans and Democrats. Democrats said Sanford's power ball lottery which would see the state team with other states to offer a lottery would not generate as m
Sep 14, 2015, 8:54 am - Lottery News

Alabama lottery talk renews in upcoming special sessionNews Story
Governor Bentley told lawmakers that for this special session they could consider any measures that would provide revenue to Alabama's general fund budget. However some, like state representative John Rogers, think there's not enough time for serious debate along the lines of casino gaming or a state lottery. It's something that we've got to have but, I don't think we have enough time to really make it a proper issue, said Rogers. Senator Paul Sanford of Huntsville confirmed Monday he
Sep 8, 2015, 7:16 am - Lottery News

Internet sales of Minnesota lottery tickets coming to haltNews Story
Minnesota's lottery is primed to pull the plug on ticket sales over the Internet. In a series of steps beginning Friday, the lottery will stop selling Mega Millions, Hot Lotto, Gopher 5, Powerball and instant-win tickets online. When the instant-win games launched in early 2014, Minnesota became the first state to give the scratch-off franchise a virtual option. But state lawmakers were instantly uncomfortable and passed a law this spring that forced the lottery to stop those sales. The lo
Aug 28, 2015, 8:17 am - Lottery News

Alabama lottery proposal dead for nowNews Story
Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, recently announced he will not push his bill to allow a statewide vote on a lottery and casinos during the second special session. Sen. Paul Sanford, R- Huntsville, said he will introduce his own lottery proposal for the first time, according to a report from the Associated Press. Marsh's legislation introduced during the regular session and first special session was a proposed constitutional amendment to allow gambling operations at
Aug 26, 2015, 11:00 am - Lottery News

N.J. lawmaker proposes a lottery to pay off student loansNews Story
A New Jersey lawmaker says the state should try something novel to help people climb out of all that debt from their college days: set up a lottery in which the winning tickets pay off student loans. State Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) on Monday introduced legislation (A4631) that would make New Jersey the first state in the country to establish a lottery in which the winnings would go exclusively to college debt. Any vehicle that could provide some relief it seems to me it
Jul 7, 2015, 11:27 am - Lottery News

Minnesota paperless, instant-win Lottery games to endNews Story
The Minnesota Lottery's experiment with paperless, instant-play tickets sold over the Internet and other platforms will come to an end as Gov. Mark Dayton decided Thursday against vetoing legislation suspending the games. The Legislature had sent Dayton the bill to stop the virtual games after overwhelming votes in the Senate last week and the House on Thursday. Spokesman Matt Swenson said Dayton would defer to their will rather than veto it, which could have subjected him to a possible overr
May 15, 2015, 8:45 am - Lottery News