Aubin recalled a time shortly after he started at the Rhode Island lottery and the Powerball grew to more than $100 million. Massachusetts then was not a part of the game\u2019s network, so plenty of people drove down Interstate 95 and other roads to get their tickets.<\/p>\n
Lines were as long as a football field in some places near the state line, he recalled. The same thing happened in Connecticut with New Yorkers driving across the state line, too.<\/p>\n
The only way he sees those lines possibly coming back is if a jackpot approaches the record amount.<\/p>\n
It was just such a novelty, and people wanted to become part of that cult-like mentality of buying a Powerball or Mega Millions ticket,\u201d Aubin told Casino.org<\/em>. \u201cSo that has gone away. It doesn’t have the cachet it had.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\nHe noted that people with both games are trying to find solutions to create more interest and bigger jackpots. One possible suggestion is international expansion. However,\u00a0 he compared getting changes approved to an act of Congress. With all but five states involved in the games, it can create challenges to get consensus.<\/p>\n
Except for Nevada, every other state that has approved sports betting is also a part of the multi-state lottery games. Aubin said he does not see that as competition, since that appeals to a younger generation.<\/p>\n
But there are ways lotteries and retailers can appeal to that demographic, he said. That includes more lotteries allowing online sales. Retailers also need to embrace the use of debit and credit cards. Most convenience stores, he said, do not allow card payments because of the fees associated with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a big obstacle to try to get young people who don’t even know what a dollar bill looks like to then actually, physically go into a convenience store and make that purchase,\u201d<\/strong> Aubin told Casino.org<\/em>.<\/p>\nCOVID Causing Several Issues<\/h2>\n
All the above are formidable challenges for lottery games to overcome. Add in a pandemic with business closures, as well as social distancing requirements, and it becomes that much harder.<\/p>\n
Just saying COVID-19 is an issue, though, doesn\u2019t really give a sense for how it\u2019s impacted sales.<\/p>\n
Lenard noted fewer people are commuting to work. That reduces the chances they get to see billboards and subway signs touting jackpots. Another downside from the work-from-home climate, Aubin said, is that fewer people are getting up office pools to buy bundles of tickets.<\/p>\n
Another is that while convenience stores sales \u201care holding their own,\u201d Lenard said shoppers are making fewer visits. The data also indicates people are buying fewer impulse items as purchases have shifted to more bulk items.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, these are very difficult times for a substantial percentage of the population,\u201d <\/strong>Lenard told Casino.org<\/em>. \u201cFor those who are carefully watching their budgets, the lottery may not fit into their current spending patterns. All of this, plus concerns over lines and crowds related to the pandemic, are likely causes of the slowness in sales.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Wednesday, Powerball holds its 36th drawing since the multi-state lottery produced a jackpot winner. That four-month span, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association that operates the game, represents its longest dry spell ever. Yet, while Wednesday\u2019s estimated $730 million jackpot is still massive \u2013 it\u2019s the fourth-largest in the game\u2019s history \u2013 it\u2019s taken […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":161734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13699],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
More Than COVID Affecting Mega Millions and Powerball Jackpots<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n