The California Lottery is postponing a planned sales conference in the wake of an anonymous employee’s recent complaint to Gov. Jerry Brown about senior leaders behaving inappropriately at a Southern California bar two years ago.California, Administration, Complaints, Announcement, Government, Ethics
In Japan, sales of Takarakuji lottery tickets issued by prefectural governments and ordinance-designated major cities totaled ¥786.6 billion (US$7.1 billion) in fiscal 2017, down 6.9 percent from the year before.International, Financials, Sales, Japan
Legalization of sports betting in West Virginia has reached another milestone, with the issuing of the first sports betting licenses by the state Lottery Commission.West Virginia, Casino, Sports Betting
Japan plans to expand online lottery options this October in order to attract a younger generation of customers and hopefully avoid a third straight year of declining sales.
On Monday, the Japan Times reported that official internal affairs ministry data showed lottery ticket sales totaled ¥786.6b (US$7.1b) in fiscal 2017, a 6.9% decline from fiscal 2016’s total. This marks the second year in a row of falling sales and the first time since fiscal 1997 that the total has slipped below ¥800b.
Jumbo Takarakuji sales suffered an even greater decline, falling 13.1% to ¥325.6b. Number-selection lotteries provided the lone positive note, rising 2.6% to ¥380b after the maximum Loto 6 jackpot was doubled to ¥200m.
Lottery sales have been on a downward spiral since 2005, when sales peaked at ¥1.1t. Lottery profits – which are split between local and prefectural governments – have fallen from nearly ¥440b in 2005 to just under ¥300b in fiscal 2017.
A single ticket sold in New York state won Saturday’s Powerball jackpot worth $245.6 million, lottery officials announced early Sunday.Powerball, Jackpots, New York, Winning Ticket Announcement, Multi-State Game
A package of bawdy photos allegedly showing senior state Lottery leaders carrying on at a Southern California piano bar, with one image showing an official putting his head up a woman’s shirt, was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown’s office last week in an appeal from an anonymous employee urging the administration to investigate the department.California, Administration, Complaints, Government, Ethics, Director
An investigative article explores if scratch-off tickets are distributed to the same counties in the same sequence every month in North Carolina.IGT, Scientific Games, Scratch Games, North Carolina, Retailer, General Interest, Operations, Pollard Banknote
Customers strolling into a South San Jose Wells Fargo this morning had no idea that millionaires would be cashing their checks.Mega Millions, Winner Stories, California, Jackpots, Pool, Multi-State Game
Kentucky Pick 3 and Pick 4 lottery players now have an option to win just by getting close the numbers drawn.Kentucky, Changing Game, Poker, Pick 3, Pick 4
The Connecticut Lottery’s longtime security director claims that an attempt to discipline him over the botched Jan. 1 raffle drawing is part of a pattern of retaliation against him for his role three years ago in exposing retailer fraud in the canceled 5 Card Cash game — a charge the lottery vehemently denies.Legal, Connecticut, Administration, Error, Security, Raffle, Drawing, Director, Lawsuit
The California Lottery says last month’s $543 million Mega Millions jackpot was won by 11 members of an office pool that played on a whim.Mega Millions, Winner Stories, California, Jackpots, Pool, Multi-State Game, Anonymous
An interview with an employee of Australia’s largest lottery operator, The Lott, who makes calls every day to information lottery players that they won.Insider Buzz, Winner Stories, International, General Interest, Australia
The winners of a £57.9 million (US$67.3 million) EuroMillions jackpot were initially told they did not have a winning ticket and it was ripped in half and put in the garbage.Winner Stories, UK National Lottery, Jackpots, Euro Millions, Multi-Country Game
An over $70 million lottery upgrade launched this week in Kansas.Kansas, Scientific Games, Vendors, Retailer, Technology, Ticket Machine, Operations, Video
A new Illinois lottery game will generate money to help the families of police officers killed or severely hurt in the line of duty.Illinois, Scratch Games, New Lottery Game, Law Enforcement
A newly unsealed memo shows the Iowa Lottery kept marketing four popular games despite an August 2015 warning from its security chief that their integrity was compromised.Iowa, Technology, Security, Computerized Drawings, Audit, Director
The Bermuda Governor’s office has stonewalled questions about whether it knew the sale of American lottery tickets in Bermuda was branded a potential breach of “numerous” laws in the United States by a top American gambling lawyer.Florida, International, Retailer, Sales, Illegal Activities, Lottery Tickets, Bermuda
For one firm, it will be something like winning the Powerball: A state government contract worth more than $800 milion that comes along just once a decade in Pennsylvania.Pennsylvania, IGT, Scientific Games, Vendors, Contract
The deadline has passed for a large lottery jackpot to be claimed and as a result, the state School Aid Fund will benefit from it.Unclaimed Prize, Jackpots, Michigan, Education
A winning ticket to the 11th-largest U.S. lottery prize ever was sold at a liquor store in San Jose, California.Mega Millions, California, Jackpots, Winning Ticket Announcement, Multi-State Game