Lottery ticket sales to go electronic

WASHINGTON, April 22 (UPI) -- In an effort to boost sales of lottery tickets, several U.S. states are looking at the possibility of doing so through the Internet, reports USA Today.

"Every state is looking at it," says Georgia state Rep. Terry Barnard, a Republican whose bill on Internet sales passed the state House last month and awaits Senate action, the report said.

Lottery ticket sales in some of the 40 states that currently have them have become sluggish because of competition from casinos and Internet gambling.

"The bottom line is: It will make more money and help school funding," says an Illinois state senator. The Senate approved online sales April 14 and sent the bill to the House.

"I've said for 10 years that Internet lottery sales are just around the corner, and I may finally be proved right," says Charles Strutt, head of the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs the Powerball lottery.

Gambling opponents fear Internet sales would encourage youngsters to start gambling online.