The hype surrounding the US MegaMillions lottery jackpot last week has highlighted the need for e-lotteries, it has been claimed.
The MegaMillions lottery saw US players queuing for hours to buy their tickets for their one in 176 million chance of winning the record US$640m jackpot.
After the DoJ’s legal opinion (regarding lotteries and the Wire Act) of December 2011, the Illinois lottery went live with its internet ticket sales on March 25. By March 29, Illinois online lottery sales reportedly amounted to US$425,000.
“What would have been ideal for the development of internet lotteries in the US would have been for a winning ticket to have been purchased over the internet. A winning jackpot ticket was purchased in Illinois but in a Moto Mart,” said Global Betting and Gaming Consultants director Lorien Pilling. “If people had seen you can buy a life-changing ticket from the comfort of your couch they wouldn’t accept having to stand in line again.”
GBGC recently attended the Smart Tech lottery conference in New York.
“Too many of the lotteries are adopting a “wait and see” attitude to internet development. If state lotteries are to take their share of the developing i-gaming market in the US they need to adopt a more commercial attitude towards new sales channels,” said Pilling, who believes that lotteries should not be exempt from this evolution.
“You can bet your last dollar that if the Vegas casino companies get a chance to run online gaming in the US they will not “wait and see”. They will take every opportunity afforded to them by the legislation.”
