Illinois Retailers to Conduct Study into Impact of Online Lottery Sales
By: Scott Picken
Updated: January 28, 2013
CHICAGO -- Concerned about Illinois now selling lottery tickets online, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association will conduct a study on its economic impact.
In March of 2012, Illinois became the first state in the country to sell lottery tickets on the Internet.. Powerball was added in November.
Retail merchants who sell Powerball tickets are concerned the move will be bad for business, and hope the study will shed light on whether the Internet lottery is having a positive or negative effect on Illinois residents and taxpaying businesses.
The study will cover three main areas including economic impact, the fiscal impact of direct lottery sales and the social impact of online lottery sales.
"We are commissioning this study to determine if online sales are having an impact on the brick and mortar retailers in Illinois," said David Vite, President & CEO of IRMA in a news release. "We expect this study will illustrate the consequences, good or bad, of expanding the lottery online."
Economists Dr. Bud Weinstein and Dr. Terry Clower will conduct the study. Findings are expected to be released in early March.
