Washington lottery players may soon be able to buy tickets for the Powerball multi-state game at their local grocery, deli or convenience store.
A proposal that will be heard before the Senate Ways and Means committee this afternoon would allow the Washington Lottery to link with other multi-state games without getting Legislative permission first.
Currently, the Mega Millions is the only multi-state game played in Washington.
"This bill would allow the lottery to sell additional multi-state games and the only other multi-state game is Powerball," said Jacque Coe, spokeswoman for the Washington lottery.
Coe said that by not selling Powerball tickets the state is losing out on an estimated $4 million to $6 million annually from people crossing into Oregon and Idaho to play the game. Coe said that 29 states participate in the Powerball game.
"This keeps us from losing revenue," Coe said.
Senate Bill 6108 is sponsored by Senate Ways and Means chair Margarita Prentice, D-Renton.
I hope that Pennsylvania realizes that they lose sales to NY - OH - MD and NJ !!!!!
I always play Mega Millions when I am in or near a Meag Millioins State.
They would get an extra $2 a week from me !!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
i look forward to my trips to powerball states. especially now that powerball play has been extended by oregon. oregon used to suck for the lack of extended play but now i love them.
i don't like the idea of washington or any other state having two multi state games. why don't they just combine the two and make it one.
since washington has gotten megamillion i have not seen many if any washington players at the store i go to in oregon. i have been going to this one store for over 10 years playing powerball. when washington got megamillions i have seen even less people there playing from washington. i do ask people and most of them live in oregon or just across the river. the only reason most of the people from over the river is because they live in washington and work in oregon. they are making a food run on to or from work and buy a ticket while they are there.
i used to see people from seattle and renton where this state assembly person is from. i don't see them anymore. i am the only crazy fool who drives down to get powerball tickets that i know.
sure it would make it simpler for me to play the game. go right down the street and buy a powerball and a megamillion ticket. i would just hate it. absolutely hate it.
they are just trying to find a way to close a state budget deficit. i wish the federal govt would step in and prevent washington state from doing this.
i will right the congress person for my state and let them know what i feel.
Dang it. let us not have mega and power in one state. i think it sucks big time.
A
If Washington state gets Powerball there's nothing stopping you from still buying tickets for it in Oregon. I doubt the federal government would care if two multistate games are available in one state. They get their money wherever one wins.
Sorry starchild_45, but some of us can't afford drive or fly to another state just to get Mega Millions or Powerball tickets. I agree with Wizeguy, there is nothing stopping someone from going to another state to get tickets if that is what they want. It will give those of us a chance to play both games without spending a ton of money on gas or plane tickets.
Plus, I think it would be kind of neat to have access to both games. I hope my state looks into this.
well i think both of you are wrong and you are entitled to your opinion. i still stand by mine. you don't have to have a lot of money to play in another state if you play smartly. if you don't travel at all you can still get people to purchase tickets for you which i do from time to time. washington and any other state that does this is wrong.
Playing the lottery in another state if your state has the same lottery is NOT playing smartly.If you should be lucky enough to win a jackpot or a sizeable amount of money,you might find yourself liable for state taxes in both states.Some states have a reciprical tax agreement with surrounding states,but not all states do.Taxes on a jackpot can be very high.I'd check with a tax specialist before I crossed a state line to purchase lottery tickets that I could also purchase in my home state.Just something to think about.
I live in Spokane WA and did go to Post Falls ID to buy Powerball tickets in the past, but would buy more of they if they were to be sold in WA. I also would like to conveniently buy Powerball tickets if the MUSL were to form the multinational lottery that MUSL is talking about.
Gaackkkkk!
If too many states do this the game odds will go higher than the fed budget deficit!!!
That kind of stupid idea will only lead to Washington eventually loosing more money to player fatigue and fewer jackpot rolls unless they skyrocket the odds (and if they skyrocket the odds that would lead to even more fatigue).
Instead of diluting their games why don't they make their current games more exciting by doing piggybacks?
Florida has a piggyback option with its in state game. Texas has megaplier.
Why not offer megaplier in Washington? Why not run an in state game off of mega mil by just using the 5 of 56 matrix and no mega ball...you would be playing two games at the same time
because you would have to pay a dollar for mega mill and then an extra dollar for the in state 5 of 56 game. If you hit 5 of 56 you would share the in state jackpot and get the mega mill second prize too! They could get $3 for a mega mill ticket if the player also megaplied.
If anyone in any state lottery office with Mega Mill is reading this I say piggyback, piggyback, piggyback!
Don't do something stupid by diluting your games.
I agree, I agree, I agree!
It is funny how some lotteries have become so closed-mind to new ideas that many apparantly now think the only way to raise revenue is to have two giant jackpot games. I think the piggyback option would be an excellent idea for boosting sales, provided it was a good piggyback option they were suggesting.
I know I for one, was DELIGHTED when Florida allowed Powerball
(apparently the state had an option to do it when Bush was the governor ugh What an idiot not allowing it!)
I sure would LOVE it if we could purchase Mega Millions here also...because living in Tampa we can not cross into Georgia to buy MM Tickets...I know if I lived near the border I would sure go..!
While I am commenting...I am wondering...anyone else in Florida wishing we had a KENO GAME??
I grew up in Toronto canada and in Ontario they have a Keno game...I know when I went to Georgia I was really happy to play the Keno there...gosh they draw EVERY 4 MINUTES!!!
You're right starchild. We are all entitled to our opinions and I stand by mine as well. Buying a few lotto tickets and traveling is not what I was talking about. One can afford to buy some tickets, but not afford the gas more or plane tickets to go to another state just for lottery tickets. (I am one of them.) If I want Mega Millions tickets I would have to go to Washington and that is hundreds of miles away. Plus, if I wanted to play each drawing then I would be out of luck.
Also, not everyone has someone they can trust in another state who can buy them tickets. I understand that some people won't like this and that is fine, but someone of us like the idea of having a choice between the two games and that doesn't make us wrong. Since it's an opinion and not a fact.
NOW WAIT A MINUTE, NOW WAIT JUST A GOOD QUICK PICKing MINUTE
... HAHAHA [had to say that lol]. The idea behind this, [this being two states offering both Mega and Pball, is that, this will drive lottery players to competition.
In short, more money flowing, without the hassle of waiting for it to flow. So yes, there is already competition as it is. But, by making it availabe to the general lotto-playing public. 
< that's me lol , lol this will mean that now we are all competing locally and that's alot of People, people. lol so, let's get this going, bc anyone can see that it is a good thing. And frankly I Don't believe it will drain anything or anyone, the people that play usually r just u kno, people who will play anyway ... so, i dunno i see this no different than the guy who spends 3000 a year on a vacation, or who daily eats out .... soo... i mean, we're thinking payout here folks. and anyone who agrees with me needs to do the banana dance too, bccccc lol i love lottery players, i love to see them win, and i love love love love love winning myself too 
Hope it happens, also hope all other states follow suit. More choices are a win/win for everyone.
you are only obligated to pay taxes on the state where you won the lottery. once they get their money then you have to deal with uncle. UNCLE SAM THAT IS. lol.
every trip i have taken to spokane always includes a run to post falls exit one. i always get a mutltidraw ticket from idaho and just leave.
honestly this is what the legislators want people to do. they feel they are losing out on something and someone is spending money in a neighboring state. which is the argument for the states over the years to get lottery started in their states.
i have lived in washington now for about 15 years. i remember the discussions aobut people you and me going to idaho to buy powerball. which is how we got megamillions. did you notice that they got megamillion so they could get people from oregon and idaho to come to our fair state.
i would rather see the two combine and we won't have to see the lowly washington state lotto fade away to nothing. if they do bring powerball here. people only have but so much money. the washington state lottery will probably go away.
lastly i wish i was in a border city like yourself. well maybe not this winter. lol. you know what i mean. :)
i agree with what you are saying.
by the way i recently had a trip to florida and i purchased one of those piggyback tickets. i did it for the maximum drawings and it was for 156 dollars at the 3 dollar option. oh yes i will gladly go back to florida to collect my winnings.
let me say i am not attacking you as a person. i mean no ill will towards you at all. so please don't take it that way. i am used to being on the wrong side of an argument. i just like to defend my point vigorously. i am a football fan and i am used to being yelled at by the opposing teams when i go to their home stadiums. i just don't back away from my opinions. i have never gotten into a shouting match in person or on a board. so please don't take it as an attack on you.
the only state i go to just for lottery is oregon. every other state that i have played is because of work or vacation. i have had jobs where i had no travel and a coworker was going to PA for business. i give them money and print out some directions for them and i get my ticket. yes i can be ripped off. yes they may win the the pot before they get back to me. i could even purchase a ticket on the lotterypost sister site. there are so many ways to get a ticket from another state without leaving the confines of your fair city.
what they want is the casual player (or serious player) who goes to the store for one thing. while there they will buy both power and mega tickets.
i like the idea of different states having different games. if mega and power combine there will probably rise from that merger a third contender to challenge them. then the beat goes on....
when playing out of state think multidraw.
Have it your way.
It's always fun to have more States in the Powerball or MM but the great fear here is that they may want to add more balls. Which would be awkward now on top of the Janu. 2009 matrix change, to do it *again* in short order. They should leave the matrix alone and be happy with a 50M winner almost every other drawing. Anyway the betslips are getting very crowded; the bonus balls already overlap with the white balls on many betslips, so there is not much "wiggle room" w/o redesigning many terminals.
As for Keno, a game that draws every 4 minutes would be a headache to try to systemize. They have something like it in NY called PICK 10 which is drawn once daily and I play that sometimes. PA just added a game that is sorta like Keno but just another bloated and more boring Lotto game.
I don't think it's going to make any difference because I predict that both Powerball and Mega Millions will agree to make both games available in all the states that don't play one or the other by the end of 2009.
I wonder if other states will follow suit?
I hope !!! It would be a great idea.
i would check the crystal ball of yours because it is looking kind of cloudy.
Just imagine winning both jackpots in the same state