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Ohio: Keno

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

Lottery chief's pledge at odds with reality

By James Nash

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.

Read More at Columbus Dispatch >
There have been 75 comments posted in response to this story.

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

Lottery panel's vendor switch OK, judge rules

By Mark Niquette

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.

Read More at Columbus Dispatch >
There have been 26 comments posted in response to this story.

February 5, 2009 - 08:02 am
NEWS FEED: Columbus Dispatch

As state moneymaker, Keno falls short in first 6 months

By James Nash

Keno is on track to bring in less than half the revenue projected by lottery officials and Gov. Ted Strickland's office. After an early burst of interest, bar and restaurant owners aren't stampeding to wire their establishments for the game.

And nearly a quarter of businesses that once had Keno have decided to drop it.

Among Keno watchers, the bad economy seems to be the prime culprit, followed by staffing issues at some of the host businesses and the relative complexity of the game.

Strickland ordered the game a year ago to raise a projected $73 million a year for education. Six months in, Keno has yielded $13.

Read More at Columbus Dispatch >
There have been 24 comments posted in response to this story.

January 28, 2009 - 07:52 am
NEWS FEED: Columbus Dispatch

Lottery slots need no vote

By James Nash

Unlike previous proposals, it would not require a vote of the people. It wouldn't even need the legislature's blessing.

The River Downs horse-racing track near Cincinnati is trying to enlist mayors to lean on Gov. Ted Strickland to get the Ohio Lottery into the slot-machine business.

Strickland simply could direct the Ohio Lottery to manage slot machines at the seven Ohio racetracks and one location in each of the state's seven largest cities, said Robert Doyle, the River Downs lobbyist. The sites would get only slot machines, not other casino-style games.

An order from the governor would bypass the lengthy and expensive process by which the previous four gambling measures have appeared on the ballot: through petition drives for which hundreds of thousands of signatures had to be collected.

Read More at Columbus Dispatch >
There have been 27 comments posted in response to this story.