Online lottery sales dispute in Massachusetts

Retailers believe that if the bill that allows online ticket sales in the state becomes law, the Mass Lottery could stop being successful.

US.- The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection will study the benefits and setbacks of the possibility of bringing online lottery to Massachusetts after retailers complained that if the bill that allows online ticket sales becomes law, the Massachusetts Lottery could stop being successful.

The state lottery has been asking permission from the Legislature to offer its products online for quite some time now, but the fight hasn’t led to anywhere. Whilst retailers say that selling lottery products in person is the way that their businesses survive, Lottery Commission Executive Director Michael Sweeney believes that in order to change the business model they need the approval from the Legislature to sell online and increase sales that have been failing for years. “The Massachusetts Lottery should position itself to be where the consumers are. Increasingly, the consumers are online and mobile,” he said.

Moreover, the coalition of six retails associations called Save Our Neighborhood Stores claimed that retailers are behind the success of the Massachusetts Lottery, Lottery Post reported. “The introduction of iLottery will decimate foot traffic in their stores and present numerous other challenges to the already struggling business owners. Convenience stores are the heart of communities. Convenience owners develop strong and unique ties to their customers and to their neighborhoods. However, the reality is that these retailers will not be able to sustain any more hits to their profits and dark, empty store fronts could soon replace our friendly, familiar neighborhood store,” said the coalition.