Indiana to join the online lottery rush

With neighbours Illinois already involved in an online lottery pilot program, the pressure is on for Indiana’s Hoosier Lottery to develop an internet presence, and officials this week confirmed that an investigation into the possibilities of using the internet for ticket sales has commenced.

Al Larsen, spokesperson for the Hoosier Lottery, said that the introduction of such a sales initiative would probably not require a legislative decision, as the approval of the Indiana Lottery Commission should suffice. However, he gave an assurance that Governor Mitch Daniels’ office would be consulted before any substantive moves were made.

Larsen revealed that the lottery has been tracking developments in the lottery field, particularly since the revised opinion of the Department of Justice on internet gambling in terms of the Wire Act had been publicised.

“When you get down to it, we have an obligation to maximise revenue for Hoosier taxpayers so we have to look at all sales channels,” he said.

The investigation would take in a number of factors, Larsen disclosed, giving as examples the impact on ticket retailers, responsible gaming considerations, and the demands of the state’s lottery fans.

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