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By Rob Jennings, USA TODAY

Going to the local convenience store to buy 
a lottery ticket might be the next common 
practice to give way to technology.

Minnesota began offering online lottery 
sales in November, and a bill to allow online 
sales has passed through an Assembly 
committee in New Jersey. Other states are 
exploring the idea.

“All gaming operations, including state 
lotteries, are trying to move toward Internet 
gambling,” says Keith Whyte, executive 
director of the National Council on Problem 
Gambling.

A total of 43 states, the District of Columbia, 
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands offer 
lotteries according to www.usa.gov.

Republican New York Assemblyman Clifford 
Crouch is sponsoring a bill that would allow 
online sales of Quick Draw and other games, 
with a goal of expanding the market.

Edwin McGuinn, chief executive officer of 
eLottery of Stamford, Conn., projects that a 
state with online lottery sales would increase 
revenue 15% within five years and attract “a 
demographic who doesn’t traditionally go 
into a convenience store to buy a ticket,” at a 
time when many states are grappling with 
budget deficits. He said that, in Britain and 
Finland, the online portions of government 
lottery sales are 15% and 25%, respectively.

Whyte, whose organization does not have a 
formal position on online lottery sales, said 
there are concerns with moving sales online, 
including “anonymity and social isolation.”

The Minnesota state lottery began selling 
online lottery subscriptions for up to a year 
on Nov. 18 for games such as Powerball and 
Mega Millions, says Jenny Canfield, the state 
lottery’s director of operations. Canfield said 
the Minnesota lottery had sold 8,772 
subscriptions as of last week, generating 
$333,476.

The New Jersey proposal has several hurdles 
to clear. A vote by the full Assembly is not 
yet scheduled and a companion bill, 
introduced in the Senate earlier this year, 
awaits a hearing. Gov. Chris Christie, a 
Republican, has not said whether he would 
support the bill.

Some New Jersey merchants are against the 
proposal, fearing a dropoff in business.

“My fear is that somebody says, ‘Hey, if we 
can get a few extra bucks, it doesn’t matter 
that we’re taking away from small-business 
owners,'” said Sal Risalvato, New Jersey 
Gasoline and C-Store Automotive 
Association executive director.

Democratic Assemblywoman Annette 
Quijano, said the bill was amended to give 
merchants 5% of ticket revenue. Risalvato 
said that’s not enough. He said the real 
benefit to selling lottery tickets is that 
customers will pick up a cup of coffee or 
make other impulse purchases.

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