On October 10th, 2007, the state lottery, which failed to achieve its projected revenue last year, is fast expanding a keno style game in a plan that could reel in an additional $160 million every year.
The Daily Race Game, which players can win up to $900 on a just a dollar wager, will expand from 200 to 1,500 locations all over the state and the pictures will be change from vehicles to horses. The Lottery commissioners recently approved the changes, which should be finished by next spring.
Lottery spokesperson Dan Rosenfeld commented that Lottery profits were down $120 million last 2006 but it improved to 5.5% after a quarter on the current fiscal year because of the good sales from the $20 scratch ticket.
The lottery gets most of their profits from scratch tickets, keno and numbers games to different municipalities. It gave a historic $951 million in 2006 and $936 million dollars in 2005. But the monetary aid to tax payers in 2007 was $892 million, a four year low and a slide down of $59 million from the year before.
The total sales of the Star-Spangled Sweepstakes $20 ticket showcasing a $20 million jackpot prize. Any long-term slide in lottery would be a major problem for municipalities that are in dire need of money. The Daily Race Game, which is animated on a screen, will be offered in pizza shops and family restaurants.
The keno game of the lottery will be available in 1,750 locations in convenience stores, bars and restaurants. The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling criticized the location of the keno game.
Council spokesperson Margot Cahoon said that they are concerned about the minors that can see their parents playing a game that is like a video game. The state's secretary of Health and Human Services Judy Ann Bigby expressed no worries about the Daily Race Game expansion.
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John Sullivan
