Editorial
by Dawn Nettles, The Lotto Report

By continuing with lottery drawings and selling
scratch tickets, the Lotteries are enticing players
to leave home and are putting them in harms way

The sole purpose of this story ....
Is to convince you to demand that Texas and all U.S. lotteries suspend lottery sales immediately to help stop the spread of the Corona virus. It is a the sole responsibility of our elected officials to protect Americans and they are failing by allowing lotteries to lure players out of their homes. The People need to make these demands.

The best way I know to explain the dangers of this virus is to liken it to a fire. If you put a fire out quickly, you limit the damages. If you let a fire burn for a few minutes before taking action, it gets out of control and will destroy everything in it's path.

That's what's happened with Covid-19 - it's completely out of control. It is highly contagious and deadly and this is why non-essential businesses have have been forced to close. The only way to stop the spread of the Corona virus is for everyone to stay at home and to ONLY leave for essential needs. Purchasing lottery products are NOT essential needs worthy of the risk to go out and buy them.

Let me show you just how many Texas lottery players are going out daily to play the lottery ....
To compute these figures, I created a spreadsheet and used draw sales for each game then used the average amount spent monthly per player as reported in the TLC 2018 Demographic Study. Specifically, the figures reported to the legislature was $25 for draw games and $31.57 for scratch tickets spent monthly by TX players. (It is important to say that - in my opinion - these figures are NOT accurate but I'm using them anyway)

- Excerpt - 2018 - Texas Lottery Demographic Study
Confirms players monthly scratch ticket spending is $31.57.

Excerpt - Page 16 - TLC 2018 Demographic Study
Confirms players "any game" spending is $25 per month

The Demographic Study says that 42% of the Texas population -
which is 28,797,290 - plays the lottery. This equates
to 12,094,862 individual lottery players.

Methodology used to compute the number of people who left home each day to purchase lottery ....
I created a spreadsheet where I took each game's draw sales between March 16 - March 28, 2020. I divided draw sales for each game by the average spent to determine how many people went out and purchased tickets. I then added the number of people for all games who bought tickets to arrive at a grand total of players who went out each day.

With regards to scratch tickets - I only had weekly sales figures so I divided weekly sales by 7 days to arrive at a daily figure to use. Scratch ticket players play everyday including Sunday's so that's why my spreadsheet includes Sunday as a "went out day!" Many players purchase tickets on Sundays for the other games as well.

Because I do NOT believe that scratch tickets players spend an average of $31.57 per month, which equates to $1.05 per day, I decided to compute a more realistic expense - $40 per day per player. This, in my educated opinion, is a minimum average spent by scratch tickets players every day.

- Excerpt - Conclusion -
- Lotto Report Spreadsheet -
Shows Number of People Who Left Home
To Purchase Lottery Tickets For All Games.
(Accidentially excluded "Just the Jackpot"
game but that's a bad, unfair game and
not many people play it.)

Lotto Report Spreadsheet pdf - A two week breakdown
of each lottery game, daily sales and the obvious
number of people who left home each day to purchase
tickets for each game. Grand total of all is shown above.

Let's just glance at weekly sales since the virus (Covid-19) nightmare began in the United States so you won't question my findings above.

- Actual Weekly Sales - Total All Games
(As shown in the 03/28/20 TLC Weekly Sales Report, Page 3)

- Actual Weekly Sales - Scratch Tickets Only
(As shown in the 0/28/20 TLC Weekly Sales Report, Page 3)

WOW - lots of people are going out daily to buy scratch tickets! It appears the Texas Lottery is on target to reach $500 million per month to bring in $6 billion for FY2020. If you want to see all of FY20, then simply click here and and go to page 3.

* 04/04/20 - TLC Weekly Sales Report, click here
* 04/11/20 - TLC Weekly Sales Report, click here
Stimulus checks beginning 4/14/20
*04/18/20 - TLC Weekly Sales Report, click here
*04/25/20 - TLC Weekly Sales Report, click here
*05/02/20 - TLC Weekly Sales Report, click here
(*Story originally posted 4/8/20 - just updating sales)
Links To All "TLC Weekly Sales Reports," click here

As you can see, during the pandemic and stay at home orders, TX sales are still strong. If want you to see draw sales for all games, I have this information posted on my site. Links to each games sales page can be found at the bottom of this page.

About those who are putting themselves at risk during a pandemic to buy lottery ...

Excerpt - Page 17 - TLC 2018 Demographic Study Says ...




49.3 % are either full time or part time employed
28.7% are un-employed, 33.8% are retired

Hmmm ....

Let's review what I just wrote ... 33.8% are retired - the
most vulnerable to the Corona virus .... How very sad ...

28.7% unemployed ... how can they afford to
play the lottery and shouldn't they be saving every
penny at this critical time? Is the lottery taking
advantage of their addiction to gambling?

As for the 49.3% that work either full time or
part time .... well, it would be interesting to
see how many are employed today.

Imagine, 97% of the people in the US are under stay at home orders.

- Two Predictions -
Here's what will happen if lottery sales are NOT suspended
1) When the stimulus checks are mailed out, you will
see a HUGE increase in scratch ticket sales.
Imagine - a trillion dollars going to U. S. lotteries.
Not all of that money will go to restrauants
and retail outlets as intended - it will be spent
by addicted players attempting to win BIG.
And even if a few do win big, they'll give
it all back in time and still be broke.

This was an easy prediction. This is because
there's always a spike in scratch ticket sales
when tax refunds are received in Feb
and March of every year. Ask any retailer.

2) The Powerball and Mega Millions jackpot
will increase to at least a billion dollars or more.
Not only will you see the lines of people trying to
spend money they don't have, but you will see
$2.5 billion spent on lottery tickets within
a weeks time. While some of this money will
be spent by "ocassional" and "new" players,
the majority will come in from loyal players
who play every draw no matter what the
jackpot amount is. It's just that they
will spend a whole lot more money
trying to win the jackpot. They will not
be able to pay all of their bills due
to their spending for the "big one."

Imagine, discretionary money spent
solely on a lottery game rather than to
support those businesses that
are suffering as a direct result of
the Corona virus - a pandemic.

In those lines of people, I wonder how
many people will get the virus and spread
it to everyone they come in contact with?
How many will end up dying?

A Very Interesting Tidbit and A Warning

I'd like to point out that the lottery vending
machines are NOT being wiped down.
Some grocery stores are referring all lottery
customers to their vending machines to keep them
out of their areas. A few stores have pulled scratch
tickets to keep lottery players out of their stores.
Behind the scenes, the stores have actually asked
me WHY lottery tickets are still being sold.
Due to the crisis, they don't understand why
they have to have more traffic in their stores
for non-essential purchases. Store personnel
are taking the risks - why put more on
them than necessary?

Interesting Reads ...

Houston Chronicle - Sales Surge ...
Click here

Gambling An Essential Business??
Austin American Statesman, Click here

Lottery products deemed essential by states, Click here

Clerk says, "Just there to buy lottery tickets," Click here

Michigan Retailers Warn Lottery Sales Unsafe, Click here

Will Lottery sales be the next to go in Michigan, Click here

"In person sales halted" ... Click here

Lotteries have taken action to protect state employees but to HELL with their customers
All claim centers have been closed and many lottery employees are working from home. This means that you are taking the risk in just purchasing lottery tickets and should you be one of the chosen few to win something substantial, well, you can't collect your winnings the next day. You either mail your claim in or wait for the claim centers to open in the future. How sad especially since they "take no responsibility for lost tickets."

On March 24, approximately 150 G-Tech/IGT reps were issued "Declaration" letters from the State of TX - actually, from the Texas Lottery Commission.
This means they were declared "essential" workers and have permission to be out driving around. They go from store to store checking inventory, picking up scratch tickets and servicing the retailers. They go behind the counters with the clerks - no regard for the 6 foot distancing - and they touch everything in sight in doing their jobs. Can you imagine the risk they are taking much less how many people they may be infecting or how many IGT/G-Tech reps may be getting infected with the virus without knowing it? I wonder how many IGT/G-Tech reps are sick now?

To make matters worse for the reps, on Friday, March 27, 2020, Texas IGT/G-Tech reps learned they would be losing their quarterly bonus, their yearly bonus and there would be no award given for winning a Sales Contest that was ongoing. IGT/G-Tech explained that because lottery operations have been suspended in other countries (Italy, Spain and China to name a few), the shut down of all casinos in Las Vegas and a decline in sales in the US, expenses had to be cut. (FYI - in many states in the US, lottery retailers have closed and/or gotten special permission to not sell lottery products. This is why there's a decline in sales in some states. But it's not the case in TX.)

In Texas, IGT/G-Tech mid management employees have been furloughed for eight weeks due to the Corona virus. So for the reps they have going from store to store, it appears they intend for those poor people to just get sick and die to spare the company from having to pay unemployment! Lottery sales are NOT essential purchases, IGT/G-Tech is NOT an essential company and those reps should NOT be running stores.

There was one piece of good news for Texas IGT/G-Tech reps ... they don't have to visit their stores but once a month now rather than every nine days! I hope you realize that IGT/G-Tech is cutting their employees pay but demanding that they put their lives in harms way. They should be receiving HAZARD pay!

I wonder, the Texas IGT/G-Tech contract requires for 2 visits per month at each store. I wonder how they are getting around this tidbit?

Online (internet) ticket sales are illegal in Texas and should remain that way ...
Mr. Grief has been pushing for internet lottery sales. He may be using this virus as a selling tool for the legislature. But internet lottery sales should NEVER be legalized because the retailers put the lotteries on the map. Right now, players can buy ILLEGAL tickets online BUT you pay more than the LEGAL price of a ticket. Mr. Grief is turning a blind eye to what's taking place out there. In fact, he actually assisted in the relocation of one firm that moved to Austin. You can't buy scratch tickets online and your can't buy games that offer "break-even" prizes. Not to mention that to purchase tickets online requires an app that requires too much personal data to be given.

Why no link to the 2018 Demographic Study and why I do not believe the findings...
Many years ago, I was present during a commission meeting when a Demographic Study was presented to the Commissioners. After the presentation was given, I asked for a copy of the report and the gentleman presenting the facts to the Commissioners obliged by giving me a copy of it.

But Bobby Heith, the Communications Director at that time, was behind me and he grabbed the report from my hands and proceeded to write "DRAFT" on every page with a Sharpie. What I actually possessed was the TRUE findings but the lottery did not want those facts known. Imagine that!

Anyway, when the "official" report was released, it was NOT the same as what had been presented during that meeting. The Texas Lottery "edited" the true finding.

Fortunately for me, a witness to this event asked to borrow my copy of the report. I gave it to him and he carried what was the real report to the Capitol and distributed it. But the TLC continued to distort the findings when they released their final report that year.

Originally I included a link to the 2018 Texas Lottery Demographic Study but after spending the past two weeks reviewing it, I decided I, as a publisher, would not be a party to disseminating information I felt was inaccurate. If you want to review it, you can find it on the TLC website.

Last Will & Testament ... A very sad truth and help for my readers IF you have an interest ....
Thousands of people are dying right now. The deaths are sudden and unexpected. This is a horrible fact. When the reality hit me two months ago, I thought how sad it is that people are dying without Wills and Medical Powers of Attorney and/or just a Power of Attorney. Many people are lost right now. They don't know what to do or how to do it when they lose their husband, wife, mother or father. Seeing lawyers is costly but everyone should have a Last Will and Testament yet most don't.

Having said these things, all of you in TX are familiar with the Fun 5 lawsuits and it appears you ALL trust the lawyers handling our cases. What you may NOT know is that Manfred Sternberg wrote a book to help people do their own Wills without having to pay a lawyer. I know this because he gave me a copy when my husband was having his surgeries. I was eternally grateful. So I want to pass this on to you. Manfred's book is titled, Davenport's Texas Wills and Estate Planning Legal Forms and sells for approx. $6 on Amazon.

Doing a Will is usually something people regret NOT having done so I'm sharing this with you. Virus or no virus, everyone should have a Will and a Medical Power of Attorney. I don't mean to be morbid, just facing reality.

US Lotteries need to suspend sales NOW ...
We're The Sickest Country In The World
Casino's in Las Vegas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and
one in Texas have been temporarily closed
too, why weren't lottery sales suspended?

Please call your elected state and federal
officials, mayors, & city council members.

Ask them WHY are they enticing Americans
to go out to purchase non-essential products
when 97% of the population is under stay
at home orders? Do they not care
about the health of lottery players?

Do your part to help protect the American
people ... spread the word about the need
to suspend all lottery sales.

------------------------

In conclusion ....

For those of you who want to continue purchasing
lottery products and might be mad at me for
writing this story, I'm sorry. BUT you really need
to THINK about the risk you are taking and the
risk you might be imposing on innocent people.
The ONLY way to stop the spread of Covid-19
is to STAY AT HOME.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Just A Few Interesting Reads ...

Spain suspends all draws and sales, click here

Spanish National Lottery Suspends Ticket Sales, click here

Italian retail lottery sales suspended due to Covid-19, click here

Washington Examiner - Should the lottery be suspended, click here

New Boston Post ... Suspend lottery sales, click here

Illinois Gaming Board Wrote ...
"The Illinois Gaming Board meeting scheduled for March 12, 2020
at 9:00 a.m. at the Bilandic Building in Chicago has been canceled.
More information regarding rescheduling will be forthcoming.

The Illinois Gaming Board has suspended all video
gaming operations at all licensed video gaming
establishments and suspended gambling operations at all
casinos until at least April 30, 2020 due to COVID-19. The
Board is continuously monitoring developments in
connection with the COVID-19 public health crisis
and will update licensees and the public as warranted."

How foolish ... they suspended casinos and video
gaming but not the lottery - WHY not? Click here

-------------------------------

- Daily/Draw Sales - Texas Online (Draw) Games
(All links take you to pages on this site)
Pick3 - 4x Daily NET Sales, click here
Daily 4 - 4x Daily NET sales, click here
Fireball - 4x (Pick3) - Daily Sales, click here
Fireball - 4x Daily 4 - Daily Sales, click here
All or Nothing - 4x Daily Sales, click here
Cash 5 - NET Daily sales, click here
Texas 2 Step - Draw sales, click here
Lone Star Line Up Sales, click here
Lotto Texas - Draw Sales, click here
Mega Millions - TEXAS Sales Only, Click here
Mega Millions - Draw Sales - All States, click here
Mega Millions - Draw Sales by State, click here
Powerball - Draw Sales - All States, click here
Powerball - Draw Sales by State, click here

Not listed are PowerPlay, Megaplier & Extra Sales.
PowerPlay, Megaplier and Extra are add on's to
their respective games. People would not
leave their homes to purchase these games.

TLC Weekly Sales Reports
04/04/20 - TLC Weekly Sales Report, click here
(Produced after this story was posted)
Links To All "TLC Weekly Sales Reports," click here