Ohio: Intralot Sa

June 1, 2009 - 01:24 pm
NEWS FEED: Columbus Dispatch

Lottery chief's pledge at odds with reality

Now, as Dolan prepares to ask the same legislative panel to approve a $41 million contract with another company to run Keno and other lottery games for the next two years, the director's past dubious promises could return to haunt him.

On May 5, 2008, Dolan persuaded the state Controlling Board, a bipartisan panel of legislators that signs off on major contracts, to buy monitors, satellite dishes and computer terminals for Keno from GTECH Inc., which was the Lottery's prime vendor at the time.

On the instructions of Gov. Ted Strickland's top lawyer, Dolan has testified, he did not tell the legislators that he was in the process of dumping GTECH in favor of another company, and that the new company might not be able to use the equipment the state was about to buy.

March 12, 2009 - 06:41 am
NEWS FEED: Columbus Dispatch

Lottery panel's vendor switch OK, judge rules

The decision by Judge John F. Bender means the commission can proceed with using Intralot SA instead of longtime vendor Gtech to offer Mega Millions, Pick 3, Keno and other online games starting July 1.

"I am grateful to Judge Bender for confirming what I always believed: that the entire process was always objective and fair," Lottery Director Michael A. Dolan said in a statement.

Dolan said Gtech has 30 days to appeal. A Gtech representative could not be reached for comment last night.

Tom Little, U.S. president of the Greece-based Intralot, said he was pleased by the ruling and that "everything is going quite well" with the transition to having his company take over the lottery games in July.