A New Mexico lawmaker, Senator John Arthur Smith, has introduced a bill that would allow persons to purchase tickets from the New Mexico lottery using credit cards. It would allow the tickets to be sold directly at the pump at convenience gas stations.
Smith chairs the Senate committee that oversees the lottery. Lottery officials have said that it won’t be able to maintain its scholarship fund without some help.
The proposal would help customers buy lottery tickets at the pump at convenience stores without even going inside. About 80 percent of lottery sales occur at such stores. Currently tickets can only be purchased with a check or cash.
