Rhode Island lawmaker wants to take the state lottery online

Rhode Island Rep. Charlene Lima has launched a bill in the state House proposing that legislative approval is given to the state lottery widening its sales through the introduction of online scratch card sales.

With a push to legalise sports betting already on the table (see previous reports), Lima wants to go all-in on state-sponsored gambling by allowing Internet lottery games, reports the Providence Journal.

The millennial-generation-friendly online games could add anywhere from $13 million to $25 million a year to state coffers, Lima estimates.

Regardless of your opinion, gambling in Rhode Island and all across the world is a fact of life, Lima said in a news release Tuesday. It is here to stay and is an integral part of our yearly revenue stream that brings relief to the taxpayers. My legislation merely puts a modern face on gambling that has been an accepted form of adult entertainment for centuries.

Lima said her legislation is based on a bill passed by New Hampshire lawmakers last year, and claims that six states have already passed legislation allowing such online activity.

The legislature is currently studying a proposal in the House to legalise sports betting operated by existing state casino operators in the event of a favourable US Supreme Court decision in the pending New Jersey case.

Lima said if lawyers concluded online lottery offerings required a state constitutional amendment, she would not object to putting such an amendment to voters.

The New Hampshire proposal would allow people to buy digital lottery tickets with a credit card from their computer or through a mobile app. Before they could download the app, customers would need to create an account at a brick-and-mortar lottery retailer, in part to prevent minors from gambling.

Lima proposes sending half the revenue generated by online scratch tickets to go into the state pension fund.