The move is likely to increase jackpots and promises greater revenue for cash-strapped state and local governments, said the report.
Until an agreement by state lottery chiefs last October, Powerball and Mega Millions were sold in different states. Lottery players could buy one or the other. That prompted many to drive across state lines to bet on a favored game or a big jackpot.[image-nocss]
"It's going to be great for players who are looking for a dollar and a dream," Jodie Winnett, director of the Illinois Lottery, told the newspaper.
Illinois, one of the 12 states in the consortium that operates Mega Millions, previously offered only that game and other home-grown lottery products. The state forecasts more players, rising jackpots and a $54 million boost in lottery revenue, a 9% increase, Winnett said.
And 31 other states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands offered only Powerball until Sunday, the report said. By later this year, both games will be offered in all 45 places that have lotteries. The states without lotteries are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
Lottery directors hope brisk sales will lead to a merger of the two lottery organizations to create the first national lottery, Winnett added.
Lottery opponents said the promise of more government revenue masks problems with the rapid growth in state-sponsored gambling, the report said.The Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL) is a government-benefit, nonprofit association entirely owned and operated by the member lotteries.The current membership of 33 lotteries includes Arizona Lottery, Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, Colorado Lottery, Connecticut Lottery Corp., D.C. Lottery & Charitable Games Control Board, Delaware State Lottery, Florida Lottery, Idaho Lottery, Indiana (Hoosier) Lottery, Iowa Lottery Authority, Kansas Lottery, Kentucky Lottery Corp., Louisiana lottery Corp., Maine State Lottery, Minnesota State Lottery, Missouri Lottery, Montana Lottery, Nebraska Lottery, New Hampshire Lottery Commission, New Mexico Lottery Authority, North Carolina Education Lottery, North Dakota Lottery, Oklahoma Lottery Commission, Oregon Lottery, Pennsylvania Lottery, Rhode Island Lottery, South Carolina Education Lottery, South Dakota Lottery, Tennessee Education Lottery Corp., Virgin Islands Lottery, Vermont Lottery, West Virginia Lottery and the Wisconsin Lottery.
The newest MUSL member, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, began Powerball sales on Oct. 31, 2009.Through an agreement with MUSL, the Mega Millions members of Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington agreed to begin cross selling of the Mega Millions and Powerball games as of Jan. 31, 2010.The 23 MUSL lotteries selling Mega Millions include Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, Connecticut Lottery Corp., D.C. Lottery & Charitable Games Control Board, Delaware State Lottery, Idaho Lottery, Indiana (Hoosier) Lottery, Iowa Lottery Authority, Kansas Lottery, Kentucky Lottery Corp., Minnesota State Lottery, Missouri Lottery, New Hampshire Lottery Commission, New Mexico Lottery Authority, North Carolina Education Lottery, North Dakota Lottery, Oklahoma Lottery Commission, Pennsylvania Lottery, Rhode Island Lottery, South Carolina Education Lottery, Tennessee Education Lottery Corp., Vermont Lottery, West Virginia Lottery and the Wisconsin Lottery.
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