N.Y. Lottery Director To Head Georgia Games

Dec 19, 2003, 3:16 am (13 comments)

Georgia Lottery

The director of New York's lottery, Margaret DeFrancisco, was chosen Thursday to head Georgia's lottery games.

Gov. Sonny Perdue, who announced the appointment, called her "a can-do person" and expressed confidence she will "take our lottery to a new level."

The Georgia Lottery Corporation has been without a permanent president and chief executive officer since Rebecca Paul, the founding director, jumped ship in September to run Tennessee's startup games.

DeFrancisco, 54, has headed the New York games since 1999 and is credited with raising sales from $3.6 billion that year to $5.4 billion this year. It is the largest lottery in the United States.

She will start next month and will be paid a base salary of $225,000, with the possibility of a bonus, prorated for the fiscal year. The bonus will range from $100,000 to $150,000 based on meeting specific targets.

Georgia's lottery funds two highly regarded initiatives, including a pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds and the popular HOPE scholarship program which pays for college tuition, fees and books for students who earn and keep a "B" average.

Both programs are expanding beyond the lottery's ability to fund them. By 2007, the lottery is expected to fall $140 million short of meeting the state's needs. That deficit is expected to grow to $450 million by the following year.

A special commission that met last summer has called for the state to stop paying for textbooks and fees, among other things, as a step toward reducing costs.

"I think she understands the point that we're at in Georgia in a maturing lottery," Perdue said. "But she took a very mature lottery in New York and pushed it up ... Her job is to bring in the money. Our job is to make the policy that educates more kids than we ever have in Georgia."

Asked if he had given her a goal or target for improving sales, Perdue replied: "I have absolutely: as much as she can."

DeFrancisco was selected for the lucrative job, besting interim Georgia Lottery Corp. President Cathy Walls and David Fisher, former senior managing director for private banking at Bank of America.  DeFrancisco, Walls, and Fisher were finalists selected from 300 applicants who applied for the job as part of a two-month nationwide search led by Korn/Ferry International.

The way the Georgia lottery is set up is the envy of other lottery directors around the country, DeFrancisco said. In New York and other states lotteries are run as a department of government, with a litany of constraints.

"Here is it almost like a private business," she said. "It is much easier to get things done."

The board had set an an end-of-year deadline to have a new leader in place after former GLC President Rebecca Paul's surprise September announcement that she was leaving the Georgia game to take over Tennessee's fledgling lottery.

Paul, who helped start Georgia's lottery, will make up to $750,000 a year in Tennessee once incentives are added to her base salary. She made about $500,000 annually here.

Paul took over the lottery after voters approved it in 1992 and helped put Georgia on the national gambling map by maintaining record sales year after year. Ticket sales have improved every year but one in the past decade.

Georgia's lottery success has largely been due to a mix of games that changed regularly, and the fact that a third of the proceeds went to highly popular HOPE college scholarships and pre-kindergarten classes.

The lottery has provided more than $6 billion for school programs since its inception.

New York Gov. George Pataki said DeFrancisco "has done a tremendous job as the head of New York's Lottery Division, and under her leadership the lottery is now providing more support for public education than ever before. We will miss her, and we wish her the very best in her new position."

Pataki spokesman Joseph Conway said there was no immediate replacement selected for DeFrancisco, a Rochester resident and former Monroe County clerk.

Lottery Post Staff

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CASH Only

Maybe that explains why the NY Lottery often does not listen to its players (38%-40% prize return in Lotto; cash/annuity choice still must be made when you play; several high-end scratch games annuity-only, which IMO is a form of corruption.)

I actually met her in 1999, soon after she became Lottery Director, at a press conference outside a store, when I still was delivering Lottery New$.

konane's avatarkonane

Giv

emilyg's avataremilyg

hey konane - you doing ok?? emily

konane's avatarkonane

Thank you for asking!  Doing pretty well, just been busy cooking and holiday stuff.  Hope you and yours are doing well and that you all will have a very Merry Christmas! 

jacaesar

I don't know how honest DeFrancisco is, especially after the announcement that she made on TV on August 19, 2003 that the winning megamillion ticket for December 24, 2002 had not yet been claimed was purchased on December 24, 2002 when clearly the computer will reveal that it was not and after I notified the NY lottery the exact date the ticket was purchased and that it was stolen from my house.  Moreover, I find it odd that she is now transferring to Georgia the state where the megamillion drawing is held.  Note, there has been no published announcement of the ticket being claimed nor has there been any further mentioned that it has not been claimed even in this the eldventh hour when if not claimed it will expired and all the participating states will split the prize money.  I believe whomever stole the ticket contacted the NY lottery officials through their political affiliations and rather than turn the ticket back over to me they'll just let it expire. There has been no further announcement because they know who has the ticket so there's no reason to put out a search in the media. I don't think it was a coincident that the announcement that it had not been claimed was made on the birthday of my ex live-in male friend. 

jacaesar

THe lottery system seems to trade off directors i.e. The Georgia Director is going to Tenn, NY Director to Georgia.  THe system must be corrupt, if the computer systems are set up so that it is impossible to modify the purchase dates, I can prove that both the NY and NJ systems are corrupt.

emilyg's avataremilyg

prove it.

konane's avatarkonane
Quote: Originally posted by emilyg on December 26, 2003


prove it.


Yes, I would like to see you prove it also.
Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by emilyg on December 26, 2003



prove it.





jacaesar,

It can be proven/disproven if you file a lawsuit, and you're granted access to the computer records as part of discovery.  Maybe Jorli D. could shed some light on the possibilities?

jacaesar

I'm looking for an attorney that 's not scared to take the case.  Remember these people also have megaresources to attack people and believe me they use them, including the Court system.  Remember, who we're dealing with-- the states, government and politicians.  Ever seen enemy of the state.  Me and my family are in just as much danger.  However, I'm proceeding because I believe GOD is more powerful.  But don't think that I don't understand that I'm a victim of terrorist and in just as much danger as the Iraqi's.  However, my perpetrators are in the U.S.  so I don't have the U.S. to defend me.  I have already written the senators, congressmen and president to no avail, thus far.  It seems the situation may have subsequently gotten worst.  Wonder why?  Could it be that I'm more expendable than correcting or exposing the corruption in the Lottery systems?

vincejr's avatarvincejr

I don't know about all of the other things that jacaesar writes, but one thing is true...it does seem that it is a merry-go-round of lottery directors. Back when Rebecca left, I said that it would either be Margaret DeFrancisco from NY or Penny Kyle in VA. Now that NY is open, it will be Penny (if she wants it) or maybe Tony Cooper in SC. NY is going to want to find a person experience in running mature lotteries, and both have it.

Todd's avatarTodd
Quote: Originally posted by jacaesar on December 27, 2003


I'm looking for an attorney that 's not scared to take the case.  Remember these people also have megaresources to attack people and believe me they use them, including the Court system.  Remember, who we're dealing with-- the states, government and politicians.  Ever seen enemy of the state.  Me and my family are in just as much danger.  However, I'm proceeding because I believe GOD is more powerful.  But don't think that I don't understand that I'm a victim of terrorist and in just as much danger as the Iraqi's.  However, my perpetrators are in the U.S.  so I don't have the U.S. to defend me.  I have already written the senators, congressmen and president to no avail, thus far.  It seems the situation may have subsequently gotten worst.  Wonder why?  Could it be that I'm more expendable than correcting or exposing the corruption in the Lottery systems?



jacaesar,

You are correct.  I've bolded your statement above that really rings true.  There are few areas within the government that are as politically connected as the lottery.  It is one the the only areas that deals with money, pure and simple.  We all know what money does.  I believe the majority of the lotteries are run by people who are good and fair, but they all have tremendous resources.

Good luck to you in your search for a good attorney.  Hopefully someone here will read this and help you.  Don't stop trying.

CASH Only

vince:

The NY director is hired by the Gov (Pataki); he is a Republican. So, I'm guessing it'll be Kyle (VA's gov is a Democrat.)

Kyle probably would be an improvement over DeFrancesco.

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