(INDIANAPOLIS) – You might be able to buy lottery tickets on your phone. It’s also possible the General Assembly may stop you before you have the chance.
The Hoosier Lottery app already lets you pick your numbers for the regular twice-weekly drawing. But the lottery is reportedly looking at games you can play entirely on your phone. Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray (R-Martinsville) says he talked to lottery officials last year, and they described an electronic version of a scratch-off ticket.
Bray says he doesn’t object to online play in and of itself, and says a scratchoff iTicket wouldn’t be a problem. But he says smartphone technology could also lead to video gaming terminals, or an iPhone version of a slot machine, and says that’s too big a leap. The Senate has quickly drafted an amendment requiring the legislature’s approval for any expansion of the lottery — it’s expected to reach the floor next week.
The House hasn’t taken any action so far, but Speaker Todd Huston says he’s requested more information on why the lottery is considering the move, and why now. He says there needs to be a better reason than the money it would generate for the state. Fiscal analysts are projecting a $5 billion surplus for the state this year, and Huston notes he’s already trying to push through a tax cut to give Hoosiers some of that money back, not collect more.
The lottery hasn’t commented beyond a prepared statement saying it’s researching “new and innovative ways” to keep up with changes in consumer behavior.
