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Bill allowing Oklahoma Lottery to increase prizes heads to the Senate floorNews Story
A bill moving through the Oklahoma statehouse would allow the state's lottery to increase prizes in hopes of generating more dollars for schools and boost the payout to education by about $100 million over the next five years. For years, lottery officials have asked lawmakers to let them plug more dollars into prizes in hopes it would increase participation and add more money to educational coffers. And for years, lawmakers balked. But this year, faced with a huge budget hole, lawmakers
Apr 17, 2017, 11:18 am - Lottery News

Are lawmakers selling the Texas Lottery short?News Story
Scratch-off lottery tickets are big business in Texas. They raise billions for state coffers and are so popular that as many as 95 new scratch-off games are introduced here each year, making up a sizable chunk of overall Texas Lottery sales, officials say. But lottery officials are worried they will have to cut back on the variety of scratch-offs offered and on the advertising that promotes the games now that Texas budget writers are considering cutting as much as $18 million from the agen
Apr 13, 2017, 8:39 am - Lottery News

Proposal to boost N.J. pensions with lottery could happen this year, treasurer saysNews Story
The state treasurer said Thursday that Gov. Chris Christie's proposal to use New Jersey Lottery ticket proceeds to bolster the government worker pension fund could be finalized by the June 30 end of the fiscal year. Christie floated the somewhat opaque proposal to transfer assets from the lottery to the pension fund in his February budget address. His administration hasn't released any additional details since, including what would happen to the programs currently funded by the lottery.
Apr 7, 2017, 10:02 am - Lottery News

House committee considers bill that would allow Texas Lottery winners to remain anonymousNews Story
Texas statute already allows winners to have 'minimal publicity' The concerns of a border resident who hopes to win the lottery someday has led to a bill now being considered by lawmakers that would allow the Texas lottery's biggest winners to remain anonymous. On Monday, the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee considered House Bill 59 by state Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, which would let winners of $1 million or more remain anonymous. It would not allow winner
Apr 4, 2017, 11:47 am - Lottery News

Massachusetts Lottery battling to stay viable against online gamblingNews Story
As a Massachusetts commission looking into online gaming and online gambling presses ahead in its study of ways to regulate and possibly make money from the developing industries, the state's lottery is concerned that it could be left behind. The Lottery is seeking authority from the Legislature to offer its current products scratch tickets, draw games, Keno and more to customers over the Internet, arguing that its survival and the hundreds of millions of dollars it returns as local aid are o
Mar 29, 2017, 10:09 am - Lottery News

Florida lottery tickets could soon come with warning labelNews Story
Florida lottery tickets could soon carry a big warning label if a Republican legislator gets her way. A House panel on Tuesday voted for a bill that would require all lottery tickets to say Warning: Gambling can be addictive. Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, a Mount Dora Republican who is sponsoring the bill, said lottery tickets are a government-sanctioned activity and should come with the same kind of warnings found on cigarettes. The Florida Lottery sells a wide lineup of tickets ranging in
Mar 29, 2017, 7:42 am - Lottery News

Florida Governor appeals loss in lottery caseNews Story
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is moving ahead in his legal battle with House Speaker Richard Corcoran over the state-run Florida Lottery. The Scott administration on Tuesday appealed a ruling that found that lottery officials lacked the legal authority to approve a 15-year contract worth more than $700 million. Corcoran sued the state's lottery secretary in February, arguing the contract with IGT Global Solutions to run lottery games is illegal, because it exceeds the Florida Lottery's authorize
Mar 28, 2017, 4:10 pm - Lottery News

Battle over Florida Lottery contract goes to courtNews Story
A Florida judge must decide if the administration of Gov. Rick Scott broke the law when the state lottery approved a contract worth over $700 million. Attorneys for the Florida Lottery and House Speaker Richard Corcoran squared off in court on Monday for several hours. Judge Karen Gievers did not immediately rule. Corcoran sued the state's lottery secretary last month, arguing the contract with IGT Global Solutions to run lottery games is illegal because it exceeds the Florida Lottery's au
Mar 6, 2017, 4:09 pm - Lottery News

N.J. Gov. proposes using lottery funds to fix pension holeNews Story
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie used his budget address Tuesday to take a final stab at saving government worker pensions, proposing to dedicate revenues from lottery ticket sales to the distressed fund. Christie suggested the state transfer the lottery to public pensions to provide a dedicated source of revenue and dramatically reduce the amount actuaries say the state owes. Christie said pledging the lottery as an asset to the pension fund would have the same effect as a cash infusion, s
Mar 1, 2017, 7:39 pm - Lottery News

Lottery-winner secrecy bill dies in Idaho SenateNews Story
An Idaho Senate panel has killed legislation that would have allowed lottery winners to hide their identities. The Senate State Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted 8-1 to halt the measure that would have kept the names of individuals who win $600 or more secret. While the bill would have allowed winners to give written authorization to the lottery to publicize their names, the proposal also prevented those names from being released under public records requests for six months after the pr
Mar 1, 2017, 7:27 pm - Lottery News