Michigan Governor targets online lottery ticket sales
Snyder administration asks legislature to devote US$3m of state budget to a 2014 launch
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has called for lottery tickets to be sold online from 2014 and requested the state legislature to set aside US$3m in its budget for the launch.
However the Republican-led legislature is currently divided over the issue, with the House in favour but the Senate opposed and its budget does not currently allocate any funds for internet ticket sales.
Lottery Commissioner Scott Bowen has previously argued the state lottery will struggle to increase its customer base without an online offering. A spokeswoman for the organisation added that as people can buy “almost anything” online, the lottery “really should not be any different”.
The lottery issued a request for proposal (RFP) for providers of online and mobile lottery games in January, with the winner of the four-year contract set to be notified in mid-June. Presentations took place in February and March.
The lottery aims to raise more than $118m in profits to the Michigan School Aid Fund during the first four years of the contract and another $361m in the subsequent four-year period.
In March last year Illinois became the first state in the US to launch online ticket sales, and was soon followed by Georgia. This year the Kentucky Lottery board approved online ticket sales although a bill is yet to be introduced in the state legislature.