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JosephusMinimus

United States
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January 29, 2011
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May 15, 2011, 8:44 am

I browse a lot of lottery websites and I'm surprised at the range of attitudes of lottery personnel and lottery webmasters reflected in the way they design their sites. Some sites seem to show a depressing reluctance to have a website at all, while others have taken approaches dedicated to user-friendliness, simplicity, cooperation and smiling promotion of the product they sell. Still others go the last mile with that, plus imagination and enthusiasm.

I'd put the Texas website in the middle category:

I'd give Texas an A. The Texas site is easy and friendly, they offer downloads of the draw histories for all their games without attempting to gouge out the eyes of people downloading them by throwing in formatting tricks, and the information about all the games including current scratchoffs is possibly more complete than any other State Lottery website.

I'd also give the North Carolina an A for the same reasons, along with Kansas, Nebraska, New Jersey, and a few others.

DC and NY would both get an A+ rating from me because they're among going the last mile.

I won't mention by name the several D- and F sites by my personal ratings because they aren't where I live and I'll never have to deal with them as a resident.

How would you rate your Lottery Commission in its design and use of a website in promoting itself and the games it provides?
rcbbuckeye

100

Texas
United States
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October 23, 2007
22,267 Posts
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May 15, 2011, 9:25 am

Quote: Originally posted by JosephusMinimus on May 15, 2011
I browse a lot of lottery websites and I'm surprised at the range of attitudes of lottery personnel and lottery webmasters reflected in the way they design their sites. Some sites seem to show a depressing reluctance to have a website at all, while others have taken approaches dedicated to user-friendliness, simplicity, cooperation and smiling promotion of the product they sell. Still others go the last mile with that, plus imagination and enthusiasm.

I'd put the Texas website in the middle category:

I'd give Texas an A. The Texas site is easy and friendly, they offer downloads of the draw histories for all their games without attempting to gouge out the eyes of people downloading them by throwing in formatting tricks, and the information about all the games including current scratchoffs is possibly more complete than any other State Lottery website.

I'd also give the North Carolina an A for the same reasons, along with Kansas, Nebraska, New Jersey, and a few others.

DC and NY would both get an A+ rating from me because they're among going the last mile.

I won't mention by name the several D- and F sites by my personal ratings because they aren't where I live and I'll never have to deal with them as a resident.

How would you rate your Lottery Commission in its design and use of a website in promoting itself and the games it provides?

I don't browse other state's websites very much, but I'm happy with Texas's website. It has all the info I need to follow the games, and I like to read the minutes of the Commission's meetings.

I especially like the way they have the previous draws of all the games presented so it's easy to see the history.

JUST LOOK AT THE ODDS OF ANY JACKPOT GAME, THAT WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Raven62

25

New Jersey
United States
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June 28, 2005
180,983 Posts
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May 15, 2011, 11:21 am

Quote: Originally posted by JosephusMinimus on May 15, 2011
I browse a lot of lottery websites and I'm surprised at the range of attitudes of lottery personnel and lottery webmasters reflected in the way they design their sites. Some sites seem to show a depressing reluctance to have a website at all, while others have taken approaches dedicated to user-friendliness, simplicity, cooperation and smiling promotion of the product they sell. Still others go the last mile with that, plus imagination and enthusiasm.

I'd put the Texas website in the middle category:

I'd give Texas an A. The Texas site is easy and friendly, they offer downloads of the draw histories for all their games without attempting to gouge out the eyes of people downloading them by throwing in formatting tricks, and the information about all the games including current scratchoffs is possibly more complete than any other State Lottery website.

I'd also give the North Carolina an A for the same reasons, along with Kansas, Nebraska, New Jersey, and a few others.

DC and NY would both get an A+ rating from me because they're among going the last mile.

I won't mention by name the several D- and F sites by my personal ratings because they aren't where I live and I'll never have to deal with them as a resident.

How would you rate your Lottery Commission in its design and use of a website in promoting itself and the games it provides?

I'd Rate them All A+++: If they Posted Tomorrows Results: Today!

A mind once stretched by a new idea never returns to its original dimensions!

Catch-22: A dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.

Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges: When the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous.

The best way to learn is to never stop being an Experiential Student!
JosephusMinimus

United States
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May 15, 2011, 1:11 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Raven62 on May 15, 2011
I'd Rate them All A+++: If they Posted Tomorrows Results: Today!

The New Jersey site's up there among the best role models any State Lottery Commission could hope for in a website. I suppose it's natural for people enjoying the benefits of an already good one to want more.
sully16

25

Ringleader

Michigan
United States
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October 28, 2009
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May 15, 2011, 2:49 pm

Michigan has a nice website.
dallascowboyfan

Oklahoma
United States
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November 12, 2009
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May 15, 2011, 5:07 pm

I would give Oklahoma a B-......
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
United States
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January 17, 2006
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May 16, 2011, 1:04 am

Missouri has an excellent site.

Illinois is pretty decent, but searching for numbers history is weak....if you're searching for Pick 3, say, and a nunmber like 124 you can search Straigvht or Any Order....but Any Order tells you when 1, 2, or 4 hit in combination with other numbers.

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
CajunWin4

100

Louisiana
United States
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April 24, 2010
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May 16, 2011, 1:19 am

I would give Louisiana LotterY a Big Fat " F - " its one of the worst lottery sites . Site needs a serious over-hauling !

Everyone has a will to Win !

Very few have the will to prepare to Win !
kapla

United States
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July 24, 2010
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May 16, 2011, 5:24 am

Quote: Originally posted by CajunWin4 on May 16, 2011
I would give Louisiana LotterY a Big Fat " F - " its one of the worst lottery sites . Site needs a serious over-hauling !

I see what you mean, just pulled up the site. Its 'strange' Everything is SMALL and hard to read - some words must be a 5 or 4 font!!. Colors don't work well.
JosephusMinimus

United States
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January 29, 2011
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May 16, 2011, 7:50 am

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on May 16, 2011
Missouri has an excellent site.

Illinois is pretty decent, but searching for numbers history is weak....if you're searching for Pick 3, say, and a nunmber like 124 you can search Straigvht or Any Order....but Any Order tells you when 1, 2, or 4 hit in combination with other numbers.

Coin Toss: Missouri is a mixed bag in my view. Great site in a lot of ways, but they require a Freedom of Information Demand if anyone wants more than 10 draws from their keno game results. You even mentioned it in one of your earlier posts: [paraphrased] "The only way MO keno players can find out if they won is punching their ticket number into the website or handing it to a store clerk to scan." You didn't like it, said you won't play it, and probably neither do most other potential players.

It's not the fault of their website or webmaster, but that's where the rubber meets the road. MO is either ashamed, frightened, paranoid, or otherwise distrustful enough of their own game to allow anyone outside themselves to scrutinize their results on that one.

I'd personally give them an E for effort on the rest of the site and and F on keno. They deserve an A if they just killed their keno game instead of trying to pretend it exists without providing any actual evidence their computer is conducting keno draws at all.

Freedom of Information Demand for more than 10 draw results? That has to be a first since the bad old days when the mob ruled the numbers racket.
a1agape

RichGirl
United States
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December 20, 2010
319 Posts
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May 16, 2011, 8:18 am

NC Has a nice site.

It is easy to search for past numbers ..I like that the most.

*128* my pet number ***Hit baby hit!!!***
JosephusMinimus

United States
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January 29, 2011
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May 16, 2011, 9:51 am

Quote: Originally posted by a1agape on May 16, 2011
NC Has a nice site.

It is easy to search for past numbers ..I like that the most.

a1agape: Yes, they do. NC's done an impressive job with that site.
ameriken

Denver, Co
United States
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December 29, 2010
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May 16, 2011, 10:17 am

I'm going to give Colorado an A for their enthusiasm and for trying to come up with something good for residents, however I'll give them a B to a C for their actual site. They recently changed it and I think the former site was better. This new site takes longer to load and for user user-friendliness, it's a bit difficult to find what you want. Overall I think Colorado does a decent job, I just don't like this particular website.

Give someone a fish and feed them for a day. Teach them to use the internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
pcurtis

fayetteville tn
United States
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January 3, 2009
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May 16, 2011, 11:13 am

I give TN a big fat F!!!

They never answer my emails plus on the scratchers they

just list the top 3 prizes.
markp1950

Milwaukee, WI
United States
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December 27, 2003
665 Posts
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May 16, 2011, 12:13 pm

For Wisconsin

Great for speed. Slow or non responsive on the corrections.......

Illinois is slower on speed, but they WILL come in and correct in the morning.

And they both answer emails.......

MarkP