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* The state’s inability to pay larger lottery prizes is apparently shifting at least some business to other states, according to the AP…
Lotteries in Missouri, Indiana, Iowa and Kentucky say sales have increased since Illinois first set a cap on prize payouts. But they all caution that other factors might be in play.
In Kentucky’s McCracken County, along Illinois’ southern border, there was a 13 percent jump in sales of scratch-off tickets from July 1 through Oct. 9, compared with a 9 percent jump statewide. […]
Ticket sales in the St. Louis area were up 3.8 percent from June to Oct. 17, while Missouri as a whole saw a 3 percent jump. Iowa Lottery officials said five counties bordering Illinois are seeing recent sales that far outpace the overall 3.66 percent increase statewide this fiscal year compared with last. Hoosier Lottery officials said northwestern Indiana counties near Illinois also posted an increase. Wisconsin couldn’t provide figures.
The Illinois Lottery declined to release its ticket sales data, and spokesman Steve Rossi refused to answer questions about the impact of delaying payouts.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:15 pm
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Previous Post: More lip service
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And all this time I thought people who played lottery were idiots.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:19 pm
Now even the folks dumb enough to buy lottery tickets have given up on us.
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:20 pm
Don’t forget to fill up on gas before heading back.
Comment by nixit71 Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:24 pm
The migrants who make the trek to Missouri also find much lower gas and cigarette prices….a triple whammy….if Power Ball or Mega Bucks has a big jackpot we will hear the giant sucking sound Ross Perot talked about in 1992
Comment by Former retailer Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:24 pm
=== The Illinois Lottery declined to release its ticket sales data, and spokesman Steve Rossi refused to answer questions about the impact of delaying payouts. ===
#winning
Comment by Juvenal Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:24 pm
===The Illinois Lottery declined to release its ticket sales data, and spokesman Steve Rossi refused to answer questions about the impact of delaying payouts.===
But don’t worry, there is still plenty of money to keep running IL lottery commercials! Thanks Steve.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:26 pm
==Now even the folks dumb enough to buy lottery tickets have given up on us.==
If they were smart they would put that money into an IRA to save for their retirement.
Comment by Enviro Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:32 pm
I feel bad for lottery players, but I do thank them for keeping my tax bill lower!
Comment by Tone Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:33 pm
Illinois is now considered a loser by the folks who spend fortunes losing.
Whats next - we get shunned by Cubs fans?
Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:34 pm
“Hi Steve-
Don’t say nuttin’ to nobody about anythin’ when it comes to sales.
The Rauner Word Jumble malfunctioned, like those lottery ball machines soometines do, and run-on sentence made it sound like its the Governor’s fault. We’ll do a later Word Jumble drawing and forward the winning sentence.
Thanks!
ck”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:35 pm
Does the lottery really need to employ spokesmen if they won’t answer even the most basic questions, like ticket sales?
What are they authorized to speak about? Movies? The Kardashians?
Comment by Wordslinger Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:36 pm
Nixit71 must live or has lived in the metro east! You dam# right! Get you gas and your tickets on the other side of the river! All joking aside, it’s super hard on the gas stations in the metro east. Lotto sales are huge and people usually pick up a soda and a bag of chips. Again small businesses getting killed for a “pro business” reforms.
Comment by Honeybear Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:39 pm
Wait a minute here folks!! Some of these comments are hitting pretty close to home!
Comment by Blue dog dem Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:39 pm
I’m not a lottery player but assuming it was relatively convenient I’d opt for a neighboring state rather than Illinois under the current circumstances.
Comment by Stones Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:40 pm
I guess if you are going to BE the spokesman, and no one trusts you to say anything, I guess that might speak to the spokesman or the controlling nature of the Rauner Press Shop.
“Don’t worry Steve, we’ll take it from here.”
lol.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:41 pm
==The Illinois Lottery declined to release its ticket sales data, and spokesman Steve Rossi refused to answer questions about the impact of delaying payouts.==
The refusal to release data says it all.
Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:45 pm
“Hi Steve,
We’re going to put out a proclamation soon on how good the lottery is at liberating people’s money. We will allow you to read it out loud, but no questions can be answered. You know what the boss says ‘If I can’t do it, nobody can’.
Thanks!
ck”
Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:46 pm
“This is an email auto-reply
Hi-
I’m NOT out of the office right now, NOT on the phone, NOT in a meeting, NOT on vacation, or NOT in any way NOT physically in a position to be able to respond.
You figure it out.
Illinois Lottery Spokesman”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:48 pm
So we are spending more than the dems budget, not paying for needed social services and reducing revenues by welching temporarily on lottery payouts. Heck of a plan. It would take years of 10% economic growth to make up for the disaster this has brought to the state’s economy as a whole and finances in general. It should be clear that this isn’t about being business friendly. It is about a personal vendetta against unions, and Rauner is willing to sacrifice everything to eviscerate them. Fiscal responsibility is not this.
Comment by Me too Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:49 pm
Bruce Rauner: “We’re winning handily.”
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:52 pm
The odds of winning are better over there, right?
Comment by A guy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:52 pm
The spokesperson refused to answer questions. Classic!
Comment by Anon Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 2:52 pm
Not all lottery players are dumb
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:02 pm
“Yeah, that’s my gig… Yeah… Yeah, I don’t answer any questions, give any information, supply any thoughts to what’s going on. Really, I just don’t say anything all day…
I know, as a speechless spokesman, I won the lottery.”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:02 pm
Some people play occasionally which is not much compared to other things like the cost of a sporting event
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:03 pm
Maybe the state should offer to lend money, with interest, to lottery winners of an amount equal to what the state owes them. /s
Comment by AC Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:04 pm
I put up a dollar for the Mega sometimes when it gets big
Or
2 dollars on powerball
I average around 50 dollars a year
I also fund my Roth IRA and my 401k at work
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:06 pm
p.s. Gas in St. Louis was at 1.89 for a day or two last week.
Comment by yinn Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:07 pm
==Does the lottery really need to employ spokesmen if they won’t answer even the most basic questions, like ticket sales?==
Plus no need to write press releases if nobody is winning. See the decline in press releases here:
http://www.illinoislottery.com/en-us/press-releases.html
Comment by Robert the Bruce Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:07 pm
==The odds of winning are better over there, right?==
Not by much.
Comment by AC Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:07 pm
@FakeLotterySpokesman - (no tweet) #WeWillTakeItFromHerr
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:14 pm
We all draw straws. Short straw initiates the FOIA.
Comment by Dome Gnome Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:16 pm
==Hoosier Lottery officials said northwestern Indiana counties near Illinois also posted an increase==
So, we’ll rip out their economic heart by increasing their lottery sales?
Comment by AC Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:22 pm
“When asked why a Rauner agency spokesman refused to answer press inquiries, ‘ck’, a Governor’s Office spokesperson said it was due in large part to Speaker Madigan and the state agency spokespeople he controls…”
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:27 pm
“When asked why the lottery spokesman was refusing to answer press inquiries, ‘ck’, a Governor’s Office spokesperson asked if we’d seen the governor’s Twitter and if we voted for a best breakfast nominee… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:40 pm
The Governor’s strategy in holding the budget hostage to get legislation to help Illinois business is causing some real harm to small Illinois businesses along the borders.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 3:55 pm
As I have said before and I will continue to say. Illinois is not an island out in the middle of the ocean 500 miles from no where. We are surrounded by 5 States that are more than happy to take the run off from Illinois. Each of these States has seen economic expansion while Illinois has not.
We do not operate in a vacuum. We have to get our collective act together and be a leader. We continue to run this $35 Billion operation like a corner Mom n Pop grocery.
We need to get our fiscal house in order (one way or another).
As long as the “leaders” continue to talk about “winning” we the people are losing.
BTW I bought gas in STL for $1.79 today.
Comment by BIG R. Ph. Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 4:09 pm
The irony is too rich. Rauner the IPI guy is driving business out of Illinois.
Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 4:57 pm
This is what happens when you put a real nut in the governor’s office. A bigger nut then Quinn
Comment by quincy Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 5:58 pm
Actions speak louder than words. I just went out and bought two Lucky Day Lotto tickets instead of my usual one. You see, us blue dogs are the answer…
Comment by Blue dog dem Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 7:20 pm
Anecdotal to be sure, but I was in STL weekend before last and, while stopping to get that $1.89 gas, noticed the lot was full of IL plates. Steady line at the Lotto window.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Oct 26, 15 @ 7:55 pm
Missouri thanks you for your business, and will pay winners in a timely manner.
Comment by Vote Quimby! Tuesday, Oct 27, 15 @ 7:44 am
Spankin’ the spox….very sad and a diversion from attackin’ Madigan…back to work Superstars
Comment by Anonin' Tuesday, Oct 27, 15 @ 3:24 pm