Landmark bill would ban computerized lottery drawings in Delaware

Jan 20, 2005, 8:30 am (53 comments)

Delaware Lottery

LANDMARK: Could we be seeing the beginning of the end of computerized lottery drawings?

Lottery Post sincerely hopes so, and hopefully we have had a part to play in the genesis of this important bill.  We encourage all of our readers to support this bill, and identify it throughout the United States as a model for every state to follow.

A bipartisan duo of lawmakers said Wednesday they intend to push a bill to require the Delaware state lottery to abandon a computer that picks winning lottery numbers.

House Majority Leader Wayne A. Smith, R-Clair Manor, and Sen. Nancy W. Cook, D-Kenton, also want the drawings to be televised live. They said confidence in the lottery has suffered since the computer replaced a mechanical ball-drawing system and the live airing of drawings was dropped.

Since 1996, the lottery has replaced the mechanical apparatus and assigned all lottery drawings to the computer. The live TV broadcasts, which cost about $400,000 a year, were abandoned in June 2002 because, lottery officials said, only 7 percent of lottery players watched them on any given night.

"The lack of a live drawing is creating a public confidence issue with some of my constituents ... who want to witness a mechanical drawing system with their own eyes," Smith said.

Nobody has won a Delaware Lotto jackpot since February of last year, allowing the top prize to grow to a record $7.2 million as of Wednesday night's drawing. According to Smith and Cook, that lag has heightened concerns among constituents.

"The lack of confidence could be a financial issue for the state," Smith said of the lottery, which contributed $220 million to the state's general fund during the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Smith said he didn't question the integrity of lottery director Wayne Lemons and his staff, but that the state cannot afford to chase away lottery players.

On Wednesday, Lemons acknowledged persistent complaints from lottery players about the computer-selected numbers and the lack of a televised drawing. But he said he had no plans to go back to the old system. He said 15 of the 42 states that operate lotteries use computers to draw winning numbers for at least one of their games.

Lottery Post urges all of our readers to sign the important Petition for True Lottery Drawings to show your support of this important measure.  Make your voice heard!

The News Journal

Tags for this story

Other popular tags

Comments

Rick G's avatarRick G

As Homer Simpson would say,


"Woo-Hoo"


PLEASE sign the petition and contact your state lottery regarding this crucial issue.  All you have to tell them in your e-mail is that you will discontinue playing the game if they decide to take this approach.  Money (revenue) talks.  I'm glad to see that at least one state recognizes the loss of revenue resulting from secret computer draws held in closets with state programmed computers.

Todd's avatarTodd

This can be used in any state:  contact your representatives, and let them know that other legislators in other states feel the same way.

Lottery games are nothing but money to a state, and if that money is threatened the will act.  Let them know that players don't like computerized drawings, and will play less if they don't bring back mechanical draw machines.

I love the fact that one of the sponsors of the Delaware bill is the House Majority Leader.

undress's avatarundress

Thank You Todd

Rick G's avatarRick G

Yes Todd....a big thank you from all of us who like watching the bouncing ping pong balls!

konane's avatarkonane
Just copied that article along with a copy-and-past link to Lottery Post Petiton, sent it out in email to all my friends again asking them to please sign, please forward. 

 

If everyone here does the same our voices will be heard loud and clear. 
Rick G's avatarRick G

Good idea Konane. Time to go on the offense with zeal....I've bought a lot of drinks for my buddies after a win and I will tap them to support this issue.

Todd's avatarTodd
Quote: Originally posted by konane on January 20, 2005



Just copied that article along with a copy-and-past link to Lottery Post Petiton, sent it out in email to all my friends again asking them to please sign, please forward. 

 

If everyone here does the same our voices will be heard loud and clear. 





Konane,

That's an excellent idea!  I'd also recommend sending that to your state and federal representatives as well.

four4me

Todd I wouldn't mind doing that however I would like the source of the information in that article. I have checked the Delaware lottery's website and did not find it on their site. Can you post a link as to the source or PM it to me.

konane's avatarkonane
Quote: Originally posted by four4me on January 20, 2005



Todd I wouldn't mind doing that however I would like the source of the information in that article. I have checked the Delaware lottery's website and did not find it on their site. Can you post a link as to the source or PM it to me.




http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2005/01/20billwouldbancom.html
Todd's avatarTodd
Quote: Originally posted by four4me on January 20, 2005



Todd I wouldn't mind doing that however I would like the source of the information in that article. I have checked the Delaware lottery's website and did not find it on their site. Can you post a link as to the source or PM it to me.




Of course the Delaware Lottery web site would not show this information - they are against it!!  (See the sentence at the end by the DE lottery director.)
MADDOG10's avatarMADDOG10

  well, it's about time somebody woke up and smelled the coffee..!

CASH Only

I would approve of a ban on computerized draws...although it would endanger keno.

four4me

Thanks Konane that link was what I was looking for.

Sorry for the misunderstanding Todd. When I saw the Delaware logo with that post I assumed it was from their site. Not realizing that, I wondered were you found the article. So I surfed Delaware site. I realized rather quickly that it wasn't something they would post. I didn't have time to do and Internet search for the article. I had several errands to run. Konane has posted what I was asking for. If I were to forward it I would like to send the original Document along with the post. Usually when I post something I find from off site I post the source of the item that way people can find and read the article if they wish. Thanks for posting the item I'm glad that some lawmakers are now involved in our effort to get things back to the way they were.

Cash Only this has nothing to do with keno!

CASH Only

four4me:

How are keno games (every few minutes) drawn? DE doesn't have keno.

Subscribe to this news story
Guest