Mass. Treasurer renews push for online lottery games, apps

Oct 5, 2016, 4:03 pm (12 comments)

Massachusetts Lottery

State officials are renewing their push to make Massachusetts State Lottery games available online and through mobile phone applications, a move they hope will attract a new generation of young players.

Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, whose office oversees the Lottery, announced in a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Wednesday that she will file a bill in the state Legislature that would create an "iLottery."

"This is a critical economic opportunity that Massachusetts cannot afford to let fall by the wayside," Goldberg told the group, according to a copy of her prepared remarks. "iLottery will make our products more accessible, so we can appeal to younger players while we continue to serve our existing customers."

She offered few details about the forthcoming bill, such as which games would be available online, how high any spending caps might be, whether prizes must be collected in stores, and how the Lottery will verify online players are 18 or older.

Instead, Goldberg stressed the importance of Lottery funds to cities and towns, which use the money to fund a variety of services, and pointed to the popularity of daily fantasy sports as evidence that younger people crave online gaming.

While the Lottery is coming off a record fiscal year — $989.4 million in profits — Goldberg warned that figure was inflated by unusually large jackpots. An aging customer base and increased competition from casinos are threatening to erode the sums paid to municipalities, she argued.

"Any good businessperson will tell you that you cannot wait and see how the competition plays out," Goldberg told the Chamber. "We must continue to update and diversify our lottery games in order to protect our long-term growth."

Goldberg's announcement drew sharp condemnation from anti-gambling groups, which said online Lottery games will harm those with gambling addictions and appeal to teenagers.

"This is disgusting behavior on Deb Goldberg's part," said Richard Daynard, the president of Northeastern University's Public Health Advocacy Institute, which opposes the Lottery in general as a regressive tax. "Anything that makes it easier for people to bet and lose their money is going to have a disproportionate, adverse effect on poorer people."

Goldberg countered that, compared to buying scratch tickets with cash, digital lotteries actually make it easier to track player purchases, set spending limits, and enact other controls on compulsive gambling. In the past, she has proposed banning players from raising self-imposed spending limits for a period of time after meeting them.

Convenience store owners have also opposed putting Lottery games online, saying it would hurt their revenues.

Boston Globe

Comments

music*'s avatarmusic*

 People power and letting each State choose when they will improve their citizens lives.

 When a player does not get good service at a retailer then these ideas have merit. It is another option.

 I have found that I am frowned upon by the retailers when all I buy are lottery tickets and nothing else. I deserve another option such as online lottery playing.

Dance

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Oct 5, 2016

 People power and letting each State choose when they will improve their citizens lives.

 When a player does not get good service at a retailer then these ideas have merit. It is another option.

 I have found that I am frowned upon by the retailers when all I buy are lottery tickets and nothing else. I deserve another option such as online lottery playing.

Dance

It can be kind of dangerous if you don't have good self control.  It is so easy to sit here @ the computer and buy MM, PB, Cashball and select scratchers with a couple clicks of a button.

At several stores and even the KY State Fair's KY lottery booth I've had to educate the sellers on how to do what is called iGift and it still gives you $5 free.  The credit card for me is on-line too, but I don't use it, that is way too tempting.

Best of luck to all LP players!

music*'s avatarmusic*

 Treat us as Adults and we may just behave that way. Each one of us must learn how to say NO to ourselves and to others.

Dance

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Oct 5, 2016

 Treat us as Adults and we may just behave that way. Each one of us must learn how to say NO to ourselves and to others.

Dance

I like that idea music*, now if you could convince them religious zealots in Alabama and Mississippi of this you'd have a good thing going.

music*'s avatarmusic*

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Oct 5, 2016

I like that idea music*, now if you could convince them religious zealots in Alabama and Mississippi of this you'd have a good thing going.

I Agree!Bleudog101. Sometimes religious zealots "Know not what they do". Jesus called them children. 

 We all must mature and live as Adults.

EdG1955

Online lottery purchase is a good idea whose time has come.  The website could collect driver's license info to check age, SSN to tax winnings, accept only debit cards so people can't use debt to buy tickets, and set limits on the amount of spend allowed.  Any danger of encouraging gambling or enticing young people to play would be eliminated with those common-sense measures in place.  The only legitimate complaint is that it could harm convenience store profits, but states should not be in the business of ensuring profits for private companies.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by EdG1955 on Oct 5, 2016

Online lottery purchase is a good idea whose time has come.  The website could collect driver's license info to check age, SSN to tax winnings, accept only debit cards so people can't use debt to buy tickets, and set limits on the amount of spend allowed.  Any danger of encouraging gambling or enticing young people to play would be eliminated with those common-sense measures in place.  The only legitimate complaint is that it could harm convenience store profits, but states should not be in the business of ensuring profits for private companies.

Very good ideas.

Since that is my home state, i follow their news closely.  They've had a huge problem with EBT cards, people using public assistance buying lottery tickets.  Not only that some bottom feeder(s) used their MA EBT cards while vacationing in Hawaii. 

Not all folks on public assistance are bad folks.  Some are genuinely needy and I get that.

Taurus1952

They should start thinking about replacing those ancient Lottery machines that you can barely read the tickets that should have been a year ago.

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by Taurus1952 on Oct 7, 2016

They should start thinking about replacing those ancient Lottery machines that you can barely read the tickets that should have been a year ago.

I hear that!  A  nurse's hubby bought my Season Tickets this past August and was shocked to see the same old tickets on those big old noisy blue machines.

 

Sent the lottery a Thank you card which they should get on 10 OCT 16 for mailing me four MA lottery hats.  Also included what our store tickets look like to use on-line and letter explaining it all to them!!

LottoAce's avatarLottoAce

N.C. used the fear factor for years in order to avoid getting a lottery.
they were afraid that the children of the state would suffer because of
irresponsible parents.

Tatototman65's avatarTatototman65

Sounds good to me... Thumbs Up

Smile

Tatototman65's avatarTatototman65

Quote: Originally posted by Bleudog101 on Oct 5, 2016

It can be kind of dangerous if you don't have good self control.  It is so easy to sit here @ the computer and buy MM, PB, Cashball and select scratchers with a couple clicks of a button.

At several stores and even the KY State Fair's KY lottery booth I've had to educate the sellers on how to do what is called iGift and it still gives you $5 free.  The credit card for me is on-line too, but I don't use it, that is way too tempting.

Best of luck to all LP players!

Since you believe that online gambling can be more 'dangerous' if one doesn't have self-control, here are some things to consider:
*You can set daily/weekly deposit limits; good luck being able to do that in a casino/gas station
*You can exclude yourself from playing; 24 hours-LIFE; good luck being able to do that in a casino/gas station
*You can set what game limits you want to play; good luck being able to do that in a casino/gas station

Smile

End of comments
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