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Is The Future Of The Mass. Lottery Online?
ResumeMassachusetts has the highest per capita spending on the lottery, and the Massachusetts State Lottery raked in almost $1 billion in net profit last year.
And yet, some state officials say there's an "imminent threat" to the Massachusetts lottery — internet gambling. State Treasurer Steve Grossman wants to beat both the federal government and private gambling companies to the punch. He plans to ask the Legislature to change state law so that the Massachusetts lottery can go online.
That would mean you could buy those Mega Millions, Powerball and scratch tickets from your home or smartphone, with your credit card, at almost any time. Is this a lucrative new revenue source for the state? Or could it cause a dramatic increase in gambling addiction?
Guests:
- Steven Grossman, Massachusetts treasurer and receiver general
- Alexandra Berzon, Wall Street Journal reporter covering the casino industry
- Kimberly Young, director and founder of the Center for Internet Addiction and editor of "Internet Addiction: A Handbook and Guide to Evaluation and Treatment"
More:
- Report: Treasurer Grossman's Online Products Task Force Final Report (PDF)
- Mass. Treasurer: Internet Gambling On Horizon
- Boston Globe: State Treasurer Wants Lottery Tickets Sold Online
- Boston Business Journal: Merchants Are Fighting Steve Grossman's Effort To Offer Online Lottery Games
This segment aired on January 9, 2013.