California State Lottery Officials Ponder Selling Tickets Online

California State Lottery officials announced that they would investigate the selling of online lottery tickets once the Justice Department determined that the selling of these tickets wouldn’t violate the states gambling and federal rules.  Robert O’ Neill, California’s head of State lottery said that the internet has not been a chief potential channel for the sale of lotteries, but currently it is the only possible channel.

The legal opinion of the Justice Department will be revised by the State Lottery officials, so that the Federal Wire Act will only apply to sports betting and not other forms of gambling.  As a result, this revision would make it possible for states to sell online lottery tickets, as well as offer other gambling games, such as poker.  However, according to O’Neill, he doesn’t believe that online poker should yet be considered, as he sees it as a separate matter from the sale of lottery tickets.  That said, the legal revision bodes well for states that are seeking to expand their lottery enterprise.