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Big lottery vendor dogged by controversyNews Story
GTECH expected to bid for online games in TennesseeScandal and suspicion have marked GTECH's 22 years in the lottery business. But so has spectacular success.The company, which is expected to bid on the Tennessee lottery's online games contract, helps run lotteries in 26 states and 42 other countries. Its revenues exceed $1 billion a year, spokesman Bob Vincent said.But GTECH, which is based in West Greenwich, R.I., also has run into trouble, especially in the 1990s. In Georgia, where Tennessee
Oct 20, 2003, 7:59 am - Lottery News

Is Rebecca Paul as good as they say?News Story
When state lottery commissioners hired Rebecca Paul as the nation's highest-paid lottery director, they justified their decision by saying she was the best, the gold standard. State Sen. Steve Cohen dubbed her the Michael Jordan of her field.But a Tennessean review has found that many of the claims surrounding her are overstated.For instance, Paul said last month that Georgia lottery sales had grown on average 13% a year during her tenure. Lottery commissioners cited similar increases in ex
Oct 20, 2003, 7:52 am - Lottery News

Accomplishments of Ex-Lottery Director QuestionedNews Story
Newspaper Disputes Education SubsidyRebecca Paul was hired to start Tennessee's lottery and is paid more than her peers because of her success running Georgia's games.But some of Paul's accomplishments during her time in Georgia are overstated, according to a review by The Tennessean newspaper.For example, Paul said last month that Georgia lottery sales had grown an average of 13 percent a year during her tenure. While lottery ticket sales in Georgia climbed to $2.6 billion last year from $1.12
Oct 20, 2003, 3:55 am - Lottery News

'Enough,' Bredesen warns lottery chiefNews Story
Hire homegrown, lower-paid people, governor suggestsGov. Phil Bredesen says he wants Tennessee lottery chief Rebecca Paul to stop stacking her staff with former employees from the Georgia lottery and paying out top-dollar salaries. I honestly think we have enough Georgians now and we have enough high-salary people, and I'm anxious to get on with the business of building this lottery, Bredesen told reporters yesterday. We've accommodated what she wanted, but enough is enough. Paul has so far hir
Oct 18, 2003, 1:53 pm - Lottery News

Tenn. lottery chief keeping mum about several key questionsNews Story
Tennessee lottery CEO Rebecca Paul is keeping quiet on several significant lottery issues, including why she wants to contract with a single vendor for lottery goods and supplies instead of splitting up the business among several vendors.In an interview with The Tennessean earlier this week, Paul was questioned about language in the request for proposal (RFP) sent to vendors stating that it is the desire of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. to select a single vendor able to provide a compreh
Oct 18, 2003, 1:51 pm - Lottery News

Tenn. Lottery hires another Georgia veteranNews Story
The Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. on Thursday lured another Georgian to pilot its new lottery.Sidney Chambers was named senior vice president of sales and marketing. He formerly worked at the Georgia Lottery. At least two others have already left for Tennessee, including former Georgia Lottery director Rebecca Paul.Tennessee also has hired Wanda Young Wilson, who will be the games executive vice president and general counsel _ a position similar to her previous job in Georgia.Chambers has wo
Oct 17, 2003, 4:34 am - Lottery News

Treasurer takes top post with Tenn. lotteryNews Story
New job pays Adams $180,000Tennessee State Treasurer Steve Adams, who has held the post since 1987, is resigning Oct. 24 to become chief administrative officer of the Tennessee Lottery, with a pay raise of at least $50,000, the lottery announced Thursday.Adams, 52, is one of the three state constitutional officers appointed by the state legislature, along with the comptroller and the secretary of state.Gov. Phil Bredesen will appoint an interim successor until the legislature convenes in Janua
Oct 17, 2003, 4:32 am - Lottery News

Paul shields panel picking lottery bidNews Story
The names of some top lottery officials who will pick the winner of Tennessee's multimillion-dollar lottery contract will remain secret until Oct. 27 to protect them from outside influence, Tennessee lottery CEO Rebecca Paul said yesterday.Oct. 27 is the date that bids are due at the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp., created earlier this year by the legislature to run the enterprise and provide college scholarships.Yesterday, Paul announced the hiring of Wanda Young Wilson as executive vice pre
Oct 15, 2003, 3:18 am - Lottery News

Neighbor states may lose lottery windfallNews Story
A solitary billboard between Nashville and the Kentucky state line tells the story of what surrounding states have to lose or possibly gain when Tennessee begins its own lottery next year.The billboard, leased by the Kentucky lottery, announces the latest Powerball jackpot. It is a subtle reminder that lottery tickets are available not far ahead.Kentucky does little to promote its lottery in Tennessee, spokewoman Sara Westerman said. But it would like to keep as much as possible of the estimated
Oct 8, 2003, 4:42 am - Lottery News

Lottery work moving ahead of scheduleNews Story
The chief executive officer of the Tennessee lottery said yesterday that she is expecting upward of 20,000 applications for the lottery's approximately 300 jobs.Among the openings are a few senior staff positions that pay upward of $150,000 a year. Lottery CEO Rebecca Paul says she hopes to have those positions filled by the end of the week.People hired to fill those executive positions will serve on a committee that will evaluate proposals from companies wanting to snare a multimillion-dollar c
Oct 7, 2003, 5:17 am - Lottery News