(Host) Revenues from the Vermont lottery are down in the recession. So the state is launching a new game to entice customers and boost sales.
Today, a legislative committee approved the game.
VPR’s John Dillon reports.
(Dillon) The game is called Hot Lotto. Lottery Director Alan Yandow explained how it works to a legislative rules committee.
(Yandow) It’s similar to a mini-Powerball game where you have a matrix of numbers to chose from, five of 39 and one of 19. And there’s a also a "sizzler" which is similar to the power play in Powerball, where your non-jackpot winnings are multiplied by three times.
(Dillon) Profits from the state lottery go to the state education fund, and the revenues have been declining over the past few years.
Budget figures released last week show that the transfer to the fund was down about nine percent from last year. The shortfall was about $2 million dollars.
Yandow hopes the new game will help reverse that trend.
(Yandow) Well, the analysis was done prior to the recession taking place. But we’re looking for revenues in the amount of about $2 million in sales, and about $6-$800,000 for profit, which would go to the Ed Fund.
(Dillon) Yandow says lottery sales are down for two reasons: First, he says during a recession people cut back on impulse buying. And, second, nearby states offer more options for legalized gambling.
(Yandow) A third of our players travel to other locations to do other forms of gambling, either to the Connecticut casinos, or Montreal or New York state.
(Dillon) Other states are looking to expand legalized gambling to boost revenues. A proposal to allow video slot machines in New Hampshire has gained traction in the state Legislature. Proponents say gambling could raise up to $200 million dollars for the state budget.
Yandow says there is no support for these kinds of proposals in Vermont.
(Yandow) There’s no interest or public will for offering other games like the monitor games, keno and the like.
(Dillon) The new Hot Lotto game will be launched later this summer. The lottery commission says the odds of winning the jackpot are about one in 11 million.
For VPR News, I’m John Dillon in Montpelier.