Florida Legislator Proposes Online Lottery Sales

State senator wants to make lottery tickets available for purchase online.

September 15, 2015

TALLAHASSEE – Last week a South Florida state senator filed legislation that would give the Department of the Lottery the authority to run a program that sells lottery tickets online.

State Sen. Gwen Margolis filed the bill, which will be considered during the 2016 legislative session. She authored similar legislation in 2014, saying that the lottery is "one of the biggest fundraisers we [Florida] have," according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Margolis could face tough opposition from Republicans, including Gov. Rick Scott, who opposes selling lottery tickets online.

At the federal level, NACS supports legislation in the House and Senate, the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (H.R. 707 and S. 1668, respectively), to reverse a 2011 U.S. Justice Department decision that re-interpreted the 1961 Wire Act—a 50-year-old law that prohibited online gambling. 

Lottery ticket sales generate substantial in-store traffic for convenience stores, and the frequent lottery customer purchases additional items when they purchase their lottery tickets. In fact, on 95% of their store visits, lottery customers purchased at least one other merchandise product in addition to lottery.

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