Lottery tickets may get even easier to buy

Lottery officials looking into selling tickets online, at ATMs

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As if it were not easy enough already to buy a lottery ticket, the state is now considering making it even easier. The Florida Lottery wants to sell tickets online and other places including ATMs.

Many of the Republicans in the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott are opposed to the idea of selling the tickets online and a few other places, but Lottery officials still want to explore the idea.

In addition to online sales, Lottery officials would want to sell tickets at terminals next to ATMs, gas pumps and even on handheld terminals.

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Even though a Lottery spokesman said there are no plans right now to allow online ticket sales, they wanted more information about technology being used elsewhere.

Scott asked Congress last year to make it clear federal law bans online lottery ticket sales warning that Internet gambling could, "Invade the homes of every American family."

The idea got mixed reviews from some of the people that News4Jax talked to.

"I don't think it's a bad idea. What difference does it make?" resident Patti Barkey said.

Though residents like Barkey don't think it's such a bad idea, some residents like Carl Jacobson think it's another way for thieves to take advantage.

"With all the identity theft with credit cards, I just don't think it's a good idea," Jacobson said.

State Sen. Rob Bradley (R Florida), said he would oppose any effort by the Lottery to expand the way it sells tickets.

But that's not stopping Lottery officials from asking companies seeking multimillion dollars contracts to prove they can sell tickets on the Internet or at bank machines and gas pumps.