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Buy Online Lottery Tickets
Buy Online Lottery Tickets
In Europe, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries lottery players have been able to buy online lottery tickets for years. The move online has been well received everywhere it has been implemented and lotteries selling online lottery tickets report a noticeable increase in sales. Some official lottery websites sell tickets for other lotteries. The UK National Lottery website also sells online lottery tickets for the popular mega jackpot EuroMillions lottery. Some official lottery websites restrict participation by offshore players while others do not. The Australian ‘Oz Lotto’ website welcomes international players and everyone is welcome to buy online lottery tickets for any of the games that Oz Lotto provides.
For US citizens participation in a foreign lottery is illegal but the internet has many sites that will sell foreign lottery tickets to US players. US laws are designed to protect domestic lotteries from foreign competition because of the amount of money lotteries provide to states. The ability of US players to buy online lottery tickets for domestic lotteries has been hampered by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. (UIGEA) This ill conceived law was introduced by a few anti gambling extremists in congress and tacked on to a Safe Ports Bill making it politically impossible for opponents to vote against the measure. While the law does not ban online gambling it makes the processing of gambling related transactions illegal. The responsibility of enforcement was foisted on to banks and financial institutions without a clear set of rules and guidelines. Many lottery players who used credit cards to purchase lottery tickets at retailers had their transactions declined.
Recently two states, Illinois and Iowa are exploring the possibility of allowing residents to buy online lottery tickets. Should either of these states implement the sale of online lottery tickets it could open the door for other states to offer online lottery tickets. Once federal regulations are clarified states would be free to offer online ticket sales and banks and other financial institutions would be free to process lottery related transactions. Since the technology for online lottery ticket sales has been in place in Europe for over a decade it should be an easy transition for state lotteries in the US. Most lottery observers say that allowing players to buy online lottery tickets would immediately increase sales and attract a younger tech savvy generation to lotteries. It is really only a matter of time before state lotteries allow players to buy online lottery tickets. Most players say; the sooner the better!
Canadian Lotteries to Offer Online Poker
Canadian Lotteries to Offer Online Poker
Canadian lottery players will now be able to play one of the most popular online games-poker. Some Canadian lottery corporations are starting to offer players safe and regulated online poker. Once confined to the shadowy world of online gaming online poker has gained some measure of respectability in recent years. Loto-Quebec is the latest lottery to announce the addition of an online poker website that will launch in the fall. Loto-Quebec says the new website will counter the many illegal gambling websites and expects to make about $50 million by 2012.
The new website will be launched by Loto-Quebec and Atlantic and B.C. lottery corporations. The Atlantic and B.C. lottery corporations already have their own online poker operations. The Atlantic Lottery Corporation has operated an online gambling website since 2004 and allows players to purchase online lottery tickets in addition to poker. The B.C. lottery website offers online poker allowing players to bet as much as $9,999.per week. The B.C. lottery website also sells online lottery tickets. The industry expects big bets to translate into big profits for the lottery corporations
Some Canadian provinces are taking a wait and see approach to online poker and gaming. Kevin Van Egdom, with the Western Canada Lottery Corp stated, “Nothing has been written off forever, but we have no plans to do that.” The Western Canada Lottery Corp provides lottery services for Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Van Egdom further stated, “We’re responsible for offering lottery games and selling lottery products through authorized retailers, where you buy them in person. Each region makes its own decision and Quebec’s doesn’t play into ours.”
Ontario Gaming and Lottery Corp. is also taking a wait and see approach. The company says it has spent a ‘considerable amount of time’ investigating the possibility on online gaming and online lottery tickets. Ontario Lottery spokesman Rui Brum said that “No decision has been made,” and that it would be up to the new board of directors whether the lottery will offer online gaming.
John Kennedy FitzGerald, the CEO of the Vancouver-based Interactive Gaming Council says he hopes that government sanctioned lotteries offering gaming is a step towards regulation of the online gaming industry and not a step towards a government monopoly of the online gaming sector. FitzGerald stated, “It’s a natural progression for governments to be more involved. At least we have the government saying they recognize the industry and know it’s here to stay.”