Category Archives: Lottery

Texas Lottery generated more than $100 million in one week from scratch-off ticket sales

The Texas Lottery has, for the first time in its history, sold more than $100 million in scratch ticket sales in just one week. From Dec. 23, 2018 to Dec. 29, 2018, scratch ticket sales totaled $100,776,586, shattering the old record of $99,679,358 achieved in March of 2018.Texas, Financials, Scratch Games, Sales, Record

India GST council to reconsider 28% rate on private lotteries

India GST council operators are hoping for some tax relief in 2019. Glaws.in reports that the GST council, a body of representatives from various levels of government, will meet on January 10 to consider reducing the current Goods and Services Tax (GST) on lotteries.

The current GST rate for lotteries has been a matter of debate for quite some time. State-run lotteries are charged as 12% tax on the face value of the ticket; however, private distributors are charged the much higher number of 28%. This elevated rate strangles operators, and they fear it may inevitably lead to their closure.

The tax rate has been enough to cause legal battles. In October, the Calcutta High Court settled a case where M/s. Teesta Distributors argued they should be exempted from GST, arguing that lottery tickets could not be defined as a goods or service. The court decided otherwise.

As is the case whenever government regulation and taxes are too much to bear, the action has been driven underground. Several lottery operators have been accused and raided for potential tax evasion. To evade the tax, operators were using hand written tickets rather than official printed ones.

Connecticut Lottery considering switch to computerized drawings

The Connecticut Lottery Corp. (CLC) is quietly examining possible changes to the drawing procedures by which it selects winning numbers in its various games — from the daily Play 3 game on up — and one option under consideration is to discontinue live TV drawings that have been broadcast on local stations since 1977.Connecticut, Technology, Computerized Drawings, Director

Investigation finds lottery scamming Tipton brothers have repaid virtually nothing

Two brothers who spearheaded the biggest lottery scam in U.S. history have repaid less than $1,400 in restitution — despite owning property worth nearly $2 million, a Des Moines Register and Corpus Christi Caller Times investigation has found.Insider Buzz, Legal, Oklahoma, Kansas, Financials, Colorado, Wisconsin, Iowa, Hot Lotto, Scandal, Technology, Law Enforcement, Security, Computerized Drawings, Investigation, Fraud, Crime, Multi-State Game

China’s sports lottery continues to feel effects of World Cup betting frenzy

China’s official lottery sales are still feeling the effects, albeit slightly abated, of the post-World Cup betting frenzy.

For the month of November, overall lottery sales on the mainland reached RMB42.17 billion ($6.14 billion), a 10.8% increase over the same period in 2017, according to official data from the Ministry of Finance. Total lottery sales are up 21% year-on-year during the January-November period, with the country selling RMB468.45 billion (US$68.22 billion) worth of lottery products.

The growth recorded last month was slightly lower than the figures posted in October, when overall lottery sales hit RMB43.2 billion (US$6.2 billion). The sports lottery business continues to prop up the overall numbers, increasing 20.1% year on year to RMB23 billion (US$3.35 billion). For the year-to-date, sports lottery sales are up 38.7% to RMB264.5 billion (US$38.52 billion).

Although sport lottery’s monthly totals have shrunk after the month-long World Cup sales frenzy, it still overtook the once dominant welfare lottery, which continues to lounge on the back seat with its November sales growing a mere 1.6% to RMB19.72 billion (US$2.87 billion) from the prior-year period. On a year-to-date basis, welfare lottery’s numbers rose 3.9% year-on-year to reach RMB203.95 billion ($29.70 billion).