Fla. Senator Proposes Online Florida Lottery Sales, Again
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) -- Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami, wants to make Florida Lottery tickets just a click or two away.
Margolis has reintroduced a proposal (SB 98) for the 2014 session that would allow the Florida Lottery to create a program so anyone 18 or older could purchase lottery tickets online.
The Florida Lottery doesn't offer tickets by mail, fax, or via the Internet, requiring tickets to be purchased from among 13,000 authorized retailers.
The proposal comes as a legislative study is underway on the future of gaming in Florida and as many Republicans in the GOP-dominated Legislature have voiced an aversion to expanded gambling.
A similar proposal (SB 226) by Margolis in the 2013 session didn't advance beyond the Gaming Committee. Retailers opposed the measure.
While introducing the 2013 proposal, Margolis said that online sales would increase revenue, which would bring more money for educational scholarships.
"The News Service of Florida contributed to this report."
