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    Online Pennsylvania Lottery Tickets Not in Immediate Plans

    By Jason Gallagher | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Tue, Feb 21, 2012
    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
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    Pennsylvania residents might have become accustomed to paying bills and accomplishing any number of other daily tasks online, but the Associated Press reports residents of the Keystone State will have to wait a few years before they are able to purchase tickets for Pennsylvania Lottery games online. According to the Harford Courant, late in 2011 the Justice Department ruled online lottery sales and online poker would not violate the 1961 Wire Act, which was implemented to prevent sports betting.

    Why does Pennsylvania not want to implement online lottery sales right away?

    According to the AP, Todd Rucci, executive director of the Pennsylvania Lottery, believes that taking a slow approach to providing online lottery sales will allow the state to evaluate the effect the practice has on states that move forward on the innovation. But the report also points out the Pennsylvania Lottery has a presence on social media websites that proves the agency is not stuck in the past.

    What states are moving forward with online lottery sales?

    According to ABC's WZZM News, Illinois, New York, and the District of Columbia are primed to begin online lottery sales by the end of 2012. The report also mentions Michigan is considering moving forward on Internet lottery, and The Courant report indicates Connecticut is considering moving forward with online wagering as well.

    How important are lottery sales to retailers?

    Lottery sales are important enough to Pennsylvania retailers that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has petitioned the state legislature to allow the sale of lottery tickets in wine and spirit stores where the activity could generate an additional $8 million, according to the PA Independent. The WZZM report mentions customers stop into retail locations to purchase lottery tickets while purchasing other items, a trend that could be threatened if lottery sales were available over the Internet.

    How much money does the Pennsylvania Lottery provide to state programs?

    According to the Pennsylvania Lottery website, five major programs are funded with proceeds from the lottery: property and tax rebates, Area Agencies on Aging, free transit and reduced fare rides, low-cost prescription drugs, and long-term living services. All told, among funding for those programs, prizes paid to winners and retailer commissions, the Pennsylvania Lottery contributed more than $3 billion to the economy of the state and assistance to older Pennsylvania residents, as the 2009-2010 Economic Impact and Benefit Report of the Pennsylvania Lottery indicates.

    Jason Gallagher is a longtime Pennsylvania resident. He has experiences in trends and developments in many regions from having lived in many parts of the Keystone State, and currently resides in the Pittsburgh area.

     

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