Lottery Sales Down 30% Since March and Other Lottery News

State lottery officials are reporting that lottery sales have been dropping steeply. If this continues, it might have a major effect on cities and towns. This includes aid provided for local communities.

Job Losses Leading to Steep Decline in Lottery Sales

As a result of job loss spawning from the coronavirus pandemic, lottery sales have been plummeting. This is partially due to the general public trying to stay inside their homes.

“Representative of the whole economy, lottery revenues have decreased significantly over the last three weeks,” said Michael Sweeney, executive director of the Massachusetts State Lottery.

“This will affect the revenue returned to cities and towns. The decreased sales and revenue production will also negatively impact the small business owners who are increasingly under financial duress.”

“As an in-store cash-only business, with a stay-at-home advisory currently in place and many of our retail partners being closed, we anticipate that these figures will continue to be drastically lower than usual.”

In other words, it isn’t something that can be done over cellphones or through other 5g cellular devices.

Safety First for Lottery Employees is Still Paramount

Regardless of a loss in sales, lottery officials are still trying to place their employees first.

“The health and well-being of the Lottery employees and residents of the Commonwealth are our top priority and the Lottery will continue to follow the guidance and orders of state and federal officials regarding public health and safety,” said Michael Sweeney.

California Lottery Jackpots Less Than Advertised Thanks to Covid-19

Currently, the California Lottery’s Mega Millions jackpot is standing at $113 million. So far, the lottery will be able to pay up if someone manages to win.

However, with the coronavirus taking a toll on ticket sales, the lottery may no longer be able to pay the winning jackpot amounts advertised.

Nicholas Buchen, the deputy finance director, told the State Lottery Commission about the possibility during a special meeting on Monday.

“The unprecedented impact the COVID-19 health crisis is having on sales means each game is in imminent danger of having sales be insufficient to support the advertised jackpot.”

“If sales were to take a substantial dive, regardless of the amount that was advertised, at that point the winner would just get what sales support,” said Buchen.

Official rules set for the games state that the $40 million is not guaranteed. The California Lottery Act that was passed in 1984 doesn’t require dollar amounts to be in the regulations.