Minnesota Lottery’s e-tickets unnerve some lawmakers

Published 10:20 am Thursday, October 31, 2013

ST. PAUL — State lawmakers expressed concern Wednesday with the Minnesota Lottery’s gradual push into Internet and other electronic ticket sales, saying they were worried about how far the virtual gambling could go.

Lottery officials testified Wednesday before the House Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee about the broadening sales platforms. Director Ed Van Petten says customers will soon be able to purchase popular scratch-off tickets via the Internet. The Lottery also plans to expand sales of Powerball and Mega Millions tickets to more gas pumps and ATMs.

Van Petten said the lottery sees e-ticket offerings as a way to cater to younger players and expose more people to the games. He said evidence doesn’t support concerns that brick-and-mortar retailers will see their sales suffer as more games are available online.

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“An online presence creates brand awareness in our product,” Van Petten said.

But Republican Rep. Greg Davids, of Preston, argued that the lottery was pushing too far too fast. He said more forms of gambling might only cause more problems tied to addiction, and he questioned whether the lottery had the authority to implement the games without explicit legislative approval.