Hoosier Lottery to explore online games
The Hoosier Lottery is set to study the move that could let players buy tickets for Powerball, Mega Millions and instant games on their phones.
The Hoosier Lottery is set to study the move that could let players buy tickets for Powerball, Mega Millions and instant games on their phones.
Lottery operator IGT Indiana estimates it will sell $1.33 billion worth of tickets before the fiscal year ends on June 30. The state’s take could reach $309 million, which would be another record.
The Mega Millions jackpot is expected to hit $1.6 billion Tuesday, making it the biggest lottery prize in U.S. history.
The Hoosier Lottery is having a banner year, thanks in part to this winter’s record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot mania and other efforts to better reach Indiana players.
Eight firms are bidding to be the media-buying and planning-services agency for the Hoosier Lottery. Though the Lottery's ad contract isn't as lucrative as it once was, the winner could score an annual six-figure payoff.
Hoosier Lottery spokeswoman Courtney Arango said Indiana is committed to keeping its contract with private operator Gtech Indiana.
The Hoosier Lottery and other participating states questioned the future of the money-losing game after Texas decided Dec. 11 to end participation. Sales were not high enough to cover jackpots.
The Hoosier Lottery is evaluating its next move on the Monopoly Millionaires' Club—a new, so-far money-losing game—in the wake of a decision by Texas to end its participation.
One job of the Hoosier Lottery executive director is to make government friendly.
Under its aggressive sales strategy for the next fiscal year, the Hoosier Lottery’s operator will add games including Monopoly Millionaires’ Club and Bingo To Go.
Gtech Indiana says it can generate unprecedented growth by focusing on the basics. Rather than trying to add new types of games or turning to Internet gambling, the company plans a slightly different mix of games and a whole lot more opportunities for Hoosiers to buy them.
Gtech Indiana will have to sell a lot of scratch-off games and other tickets in May and June if wants to avoid making a shortfall payment to the state.
Luke Bosso, a Republican, and Debra Kunce, a Democrat, will join the five-member board.
The Hoosier Lottery is running about 17 percent behind projections for surplus revenue in July and August under manager Gtech Indiana, a subsidiary of a firm that also has missed its forecasts for the Illinois lottery.
An official in Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard's administration has been named the new executive director of the Hoosier Lottery.
Lottery ping-pong balls will be flying this fall at the studios of WXIN-TV Channel 59, which has secured a contract to air live drawings for the Daily 3 and Daily 4 games.
The state lottery expects to pull in $945 million for the fiscal year ending June 30. Meanwhile, lottery operator GTECH Indiana plans to start televising Powerball and Mega Millions drawings this summer.
The private operator of the Hoosier Lottery faces a $20 million penalty in Illinois because it fell nearly $66 million short of the profits it promised that state.
The stylists want to split the prize from last Saturday’s drawing with a co-worker who bought tickets for an office pool as well as some for herself.
The Hoosier Lottery announced Wednesday it has hired Mortenson Safar Kim (formerly MeyerWallis) as its new creative advertising agency of record. Lottery officials have promised to increase marketing.