Connecticut the next venue for online lottery debate?

Connecticut could be the next US state to take its state lottery ticket sales online, joining Michigan, Illinois and Georgia in offering the internet facility.

According to local media reports over the weekend lawmakers on the Public Safety and Security Committee have raised a bill allowing the sale of lottery tickets online through a licensed vendor (rather than direct from the state lottery), and a hearing will be held Tuesday to educate members of the state Legislature on the concept and the project.

The “sale through a private vendor” is an unusual format for this type of wagering; the idea is that a lottery sales agent – someone who is licensed to sell lottery products – would enter into an agreement with a company to sell lottery tickets online. The company would then purchase tickets on behalf of others through the sales agent, and would be tasked with redeeming and distributing winnings.

The proposed bill requires that any company selling tickets online would not be able to charge a service fee or accept credit cards. In addition, the company would have to verify that tickets could only be purchased by those in state who are 18 and older. The legislation additionally requires that the company allow the purchaser to view the ticket before a winner is determined.

The bill envisages the state Department of Consumer Protection as the regulatory body for online lottery sales, and companies that sell online tickets would have to be licensed through state. State law already empowers the Department to conduct in-depth background checks of state lottery vendors.

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