Now that North Carolina has a lottery, residents with hopes of striking it rich don't have to head north to Virginia to buy tickets, and retail stores just across the line are feeling the effects.
Virginia lottery director Sheila Hill-Christian said the overall decline of 8 to 10 percent was expected. But she said her state's lottery will make changes in games and install state-of-the-art technology that should enable it to make up the loss within two years.
"We'll overcome this," she said in a telephone interview.
Statewide, ticket sales were down 9 percent in the 12 weeks after North Carolina started selling lottery tickets, compared with a similar period a year ago.
The greatest decline during the period was in Carroll County, where Hill-Christian said that retail outlets' sales fell 33 percent to $2.7 million. Henry County stores had a 24 percent decline in sales, to $3.6 million. Danville sales were down 17 percent, and those in Brunswick County 16 percent. But the decline was only 7 percent in Chesapeake.
Phil McGraw, the owner of the VA 500 Fruit Market in Carroll County, about a mile from the North Carolina line, said he used to have almost 1,000 people a week in his store playing the lottery. Since the end of March, ticket sales have declined by about 50 percent, and traffic has slowed enough that he has had to lay off two people.
"Some of the lottery players aren't coming up this way at all," he said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
Others have returned, saying that the scratch-ticket payouts are better in Virginia than in North Carolina, McGraw said.
Hill-Christian said that studies show that players go back and forth across the border to follow the largest jackpot, so Virginia stores now are losing some business from Virginia residents. "Lotteries work very well together for the most part," she said.
One retailer said those people tell him the scratch-ticket payouts are better in Virginia than in North Carolina.
Even though I can get Powerball tickets locally, I still have to drive over to either Iowa or Minnesota for occasional HotLotto tickets since that game isn't available here.
A small inconvenience, nevertheless, I don't really mind driving a little now and then for advance play HotLotto.
Yet, I do agree with comment that neighboring state "Lotteries do work very well together for the most part."
If I want to play Hot Lotto I have to drive to Montana. I don't play very often, because I can't afford to go back and forth to get tickets. So I can understand N.C. frustration with having to travel to play Pick 3 or other games.
I live in a large river city, and across the river is another state that has the lottery.
When we didn't have the lottery, everyone would go across the river to buy lottery tickets at the two closest kwikie-marts, and when our state got the lottery, both kwikie-marts across the river closed up within a month, one closed up in a week.
VA should put in their advertisements that VA scratch payouts are better than in NC. Would that be legal under VA state law?
Even though I can get Powerball tickets locally, I still have to drive over to either Iowa or Minnesota for occasional HotLotto tickets since that game isn't available here.
A small inconvenience, nevertheless, I don't really mind driving a little now and then for advance play HotLotto.
Yet, I do agree with comment that neighboring state "Lotteries do work very well together for the most part."
Keep your fingers crossed that HL will come to Wisconsin in November. But don't bet the ranch.
Personally, I hope PA gets it instead, and that it replaces Unlucky for Life.
If I want to play Hot Lotto I have to drive to Montana. I don't play very often, because I can't afford to go back and forth to get tickets. So I can understand N.C. frustration with having to travel to play Pick 3 or other games.
Did Hot Lotto announce an expansion?
I like your style, I'd much rather play Hot Lotto than Lucky For Life. And I wouldn't even mind getting an annuity (if that was my only option).
IF You..............................Can't
Pull out."Don't play"
PSYKOMO$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
That comment just sent CASH right up a wall.
I live in a large river city, and across the river is another state that has the lottery.
When we didn't have the lottery, everyone would go across the river to buy lottery tickets at the two closest kwikie-marts, and when our state got the lottery, both kwikie-marts across the river closed up within a month, one closed up in a week.
Or his head exploded.
HL will be adding another state in November. It will be in nine states and DC before the year is over.