An agreement reached last week will allow Maine to add the Mega Millions lottery to its existing Powerball and Megabucks games. But the agreement, which allows states that participate in big-jackpot multi-state games to also sell Mega Millions tickets, is sparking controversy in Maine, according to Capitol News Service.
Maine Lottery Director Dan Gwadosky says the state opposes the move because it does not fit with Maine's marketing plans. "We're very concerned about the mix of games that we're offering at any one time," he says. "How many large jackpot games is appropriate to offer? And some of the analysis that they provided, I think, understates the effect of cannibalization that's going to happen to our current existing games, that are really quite vibrant."
But members of the Legislature's Appropriations Committee say with state revenues continuing to fall below estimates, they will have to consider any source of revenue, including an expansion of the lottery to bring the state budget into balance.
"We've been using Lotto and lottery tickets and now powerball for years, and people in Miane enjoy those types of activities, so we should allow them," says Appropriations Committee co-chair Bill Diamond, a Windham Democrat. "And we should also -- whatever income or revenue that comes with that -- we should use that as well and not turn our back on it."
Sen. Richard Rosen, a Bucksport Republican, says he would not be surprised to see the proposal on the table, as state appropriators try to figure out how make up for a revenue shortfall in the state's next two-year budget estimated at around $200 million.