Will lottery ticket retailers fight Florida online sales?

The National Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing (NACS) – traditionally opponents of attempts to introduce lottery ticket sales outside of convenience shops – could be preparing for another campaign following the news Monday that a Florida state Senator has filed legislation to make lottery tickets available for purchase on the Internet.

In a press statement, the Association advises that the new legislative proposal was filed by Florida state Sen. Gwen Margolis, and that it will be considered by lawmakers during the 2016 legislative session.

The statement points out that Margolis authored similar legislation in 2014, saying that the lottery is “one of the biggest fundraisers we have,” and observes that the measure could face tough opposition from Republicans, including Gov. Rick Scott, who opposes selling lottery tickets online.

In what appears to be a statement positioning itself for a fight, NACS asserts:

“At the federal level, NACS supports legislation in the House and Senate – the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (H.R. 707 and S. 1668 respectively – to reverse a 2011 U.S. Justice Department decision that re-interpreted the 1961 Wire Act – a 50-year-old law that prohibited online gambling,” the NACS statement asserts.

“Lottery ticket sales generate substantial in-store traffic for convenience stores, and the frequent lottery customer purchases additional items when they purchase their lottery tickets. In fact, on 95 percent of their store visits, lottery customers purchased at least one other merchandise product in addition to lottery.”

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