Minnesota Authorizes Lottery Sales at the Pump

In Minnesota, buying a lottery ticket can be as easy as filling up, as the state becomes the first to offer lottery tickets for sale at the pump, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The touch screen system for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets is currently undergoing tests at nine gas stations and 19 ATMs.

The touch screen asks for a debit card, driver’s license, and cell phone number to purchase the tickets. Customers pay $1 for each transaction and must buy at least three Powerball or five Mega Millions tickets at a time. Winnings up to $599 are deposited automatically into the bank account linked to the debit card used for
the purchase. In roughly two months, the system has sold around $5,260 worth of Powerball tickets.

“People are always in a hurry nowadays,” said Ed Van Patten, Minnesota Lottery executive director. “The thought is it takes 10 to 15 seconds to go through the process, and I think people would say, ‘Why not. I’ll give it a shot.'”

The new option comes at a time when Minnesota lottery sales have reached a record high of $520 million for FY 2012, a $15.6 million jump over FY 2011. Lottery sales also have increased in 23 other states over the past
year.

NACS is urging retailers in other states to contact their congressional representatives about legislation that would ban the sale of online lottery tickets. Register your support here. (NACS: www.nacsonline.com)