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Criminal probe sought in award of NJ Lottery contractNews Story
A New Jersey Assembly Democrat has asked for a criminal investigation into the role a Republican assemblywoman and her former lobbying firm played in helping the state's lottery operator gain a new contract despite bidding nearly $32 million more than a competitor. Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, D-Princeton, sent a letter Sept. 29 to Gregory A. Paw, director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, asking for an investigation to determine whether Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck, R-Red Bank, and her
Oct 10, 2006, 9:03 am - Lottery News

N.J. investigators warn of lottery scamNews Story
Same old lottery scam that people keep falling for Melissa A. Garcia, a financially strapped single mother, rejoiced last month when she received a letter proclaiming she had won $65,000 in the Horizon Empire Sweepstakes. The letter even came with a legitimate-looking business check for $2,450.80. The money, the letter stated, was supposed to cover taxes and clearance fees so Garcia could claim her prize. I thought it was my way out of all the things I've been through, said Garcia,
Sep 18, 2006, 10:13 pm - Lottery News

N.J. Gov. wants video lotteryNews Story
Is Corzine trying to make up for his throwing away millions during lottery/casino shutdown? New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, who cost the state millions of dollars in tax revenue by shutting down the state's lottery and casino games in a move to force legislators to accept massive tax increases, proposed Tuesday that New Jersey should add video lottery terminals. (See Budget Process Questioned After Shutdown, below.) The terminals have long been proposed for the Meadowlands and ot
Jul 26, 2006, 7:02 pm - Lottery News

Scratch-off tickets are lottery's big winner in N.J.News Story
Wanna bet which game has fueled the New Jersey Lottery's growing revenue over the past decade? It's not the multi-state Mega Millions, introduced in 1999, but the simple scratch-off ticket. Yes, the tempt of instant gratification has nearly tripled scratch-off sales since fiscal year 1997. Last year, scratcher sales reached more than $1 billion for the first time and accounted for nearly half of the state's lottery sales. One reason has to do with sort of instant gratification - they c
Jul 25, 2006, 11:09 am - Lottery News

NJ lawmakers cool to idea of selling lotteryNews Story
Part 3 of a 3-part look at the New Jersey Lottery In a state bleeding red ink and desperately needing a cash infusion to pay down growing debts, it sometimes seems like almost anything could come up for sale. In the name of quick cash, lawmakers have floated ideas for selling state buildings and iconic roads. In a smaller gesture aimed at squeezing out some dollars to balance the books, Gov. Jon S. Corzine recently stood in a field of used state cars to promote their sale. So what about
Jul 25, 2006, 10:09 am - Lottery News

Why did NJ give lottery contract to the highest bidder?News Story
Part 2 of a 3-part look at the New Jersey Lottery A month after a new contract to operate the New Jersey's lottery was supposed to begin, officials still have not determined whether to go with a new company that bid about $75 million for the five-year pact, or the existing operator which bid nearly $32 million more. Last fall, the state awarded a new five-year contract to GTech Corp., which bid $106.7 million. With a bid $31.7 million lower, Scientific Games filed a protest saying the stat
Jul 25, 2006, 9:27 am - Lottery News

NJ Lottery's payroll trims state takeNews Story
Part 1 of a 3-part look at the New Jersey Lottery To lottery players, the scratch-off tickets and numbers games are a fun way to pass the time and maybe strike it rich. For state government, however, the games serve a more practical purpose a big business. A significant chunk of money from the lottery goes to causes such as colleges, public schools and veterans' homes. By many measures, the system works: New Jersey ranks among the top five states in converting lottery sales to profit
Jul 25, 2006, 8:51 am - Lottery News

Lottery, casino shutdown cost N.J. millionsNews Story
At Cafe Ole, a coffee house a block from the New Jersey capitol where business slowed to a trickle during a weeklong government shutdown, a new sign adorned the shop's door Monday. All of you are essential to us, read the sign, referring to the 45,000 state workers who flooded back into the city on the first work day after New Jersey approved a new budget, ending a weeklong government shutdown that furloughed workers, halted most state services and closed casinos for three days. The shut
Jul 13, 2006, 11:42 am - Lottery News

N.J. Woman Wins $1M With Scratch-Off Lottery TicketNews Story
Winner Plans To Continue Working A Cape May County woman is a $1 million winner, but she said she plans to keep working. Patricia Callinan is a secretary at a Wildwood Crest law firm. On Monday, she bought a scratch-off lottery ticket at Crest Tavern where she has lunch every day and always buys a scratch ticket. At first, she thought she only won $40, but it turned out to be $1 million. She took the $650,000 lump sum payout. Callinan said she plans to use some of her winnings
Jul 13, 2006, 11:00 am - Lottery News

N.J. budget deal, but lottery restart date unclearNews Story
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine and lawmakers reached a deal yesterday on a state budget, six days into a government shutdown that shuttered casinos and threw more than 80,000 people out of work. Corzine said about 5 p.m. that the shutdown would end in 24 to 36 hours. The budget bills first must pass both the Senate and Assembly. He cautioned that the budget accord was not cause for celebration, because too many residents' lives had been disrupted. We have much more to do in the coming mon
Jul 7, 2006, 7:02 am - Lottery News