The Connecticut Lottery last week offered an optimistic assessment of its future, all the while arguing that it should be given a slice of sports betting, should that be legalized in the Nutmeg State.
It asserts, “If the goals for legalizing sports betting in Connecticut are to bring all of the currently illegal activity into the daylight and to maximize the returns to the state, then having multiple locations across Connecticut and online via the CT Lottery will optimize those outcomes.”
The Lottery broke records during FY 2017-2018, with sales above $1.2 billion, making it the No. 5 ranking in the U.S. “We returned $345 million to the state’s General Fund, monies that are then used towards a variety of essential services and causes like education, health and infrastructure, and so much more. And, our players won more than $790 million in prizes,” said the release.
Halfway into the next fiscal year, the CT Lottery is “poised to set some new records,” according to the release. Later in January it will begin deploying lottery vending machines in retail locations that will sell all the games, not just scratchers. This summer it will launch a loyalty program that will award prizes such as cash, merchandise and sports tickets to frequent players.
The Lottery also wants to move into mobile platform/internet lottery sales for all the games it now sells by terminal. It argues, “The logic behind online lottery sales is simple – we need to meet our players where they are. And increasingly, we are all on our computers and phones.”
