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The Illinois Lottery began operating on July 1, 1974
as part of the Illinois Department of Revenue with Ralph Batch as its
Superintendent. One month later, the first Lottery tickets -- they cost 50
cents -- went on sale at some 7,000 retailer locations statewide. On August 8,
1974, Illinois Governor Dan Walker and Lottery officials drew the first winning
ticket during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. The drawing was not
broadcast because at that time, federal law prohibited radio and television
stations from reporting on even the most basic news generated by
lotteries.
Illinois Lottery games include Lotto, Little Lotto, the Big Game,
Pick 3, Pick 4 and dozens of exciting instant games. All Illinois Lottery
profits are deposited into the state's Common School Fund to help fund K-12
public education in Illinois.
 Bring Back Your Tickets. Bring Back
Your Dreams!
Illinois Lottery Giving Away $35k Every
Weekday This Summer To Celebrate The 35th Anniversary
CHICAGO,
Illinois (May 27, 2009) -- Illinois Lottery is keeping dreams alive and kickin'
this summer for players who submit $35 worth of current non-winning tickets. To
celebrate its 35th anniversary, the Lottery is awarding players $35,000 every
day!....................Subscribers
State Says Lottery Agents Kept
Money
LA SALLE COUNTY, Illinois (May 22, 2009) –
According to local media reports the Illinois Department of Revenue recently
said several state lottery agents in La Salle County did not reimburse the
state for almost $40,000 in tickets they sold........................Subscribers
Lawmakers Speed Up Pace
of Restructuring State Government Departments
SPRINGFIELD,
Illinois (May 21, 2009) -- House lawmakers today approved a plan that will see
the Gaming Board, Lottery Control Board, the Racing Board and
the Liquor Control Board all become independent boards
again.................Subscribers
Man Files Suit Against
Illinois Lottery
ILLINOIS, USA (April 20, 2009) –
According to local media reports a man says the Illinois Lottery Control Board
refused to pay him for a winning lottery ticket..................Subscribers
Illinois Lottery Releases New MS Ticket, Dash! For
Cash
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (April 6, 2009) -- The Illinois
Lottery is encouraging the public to continue their support for MS education
and awareness by purchasing the newest $2 instant ticket called "Dash! For
Cash.".................Subscribers
State
Senate Committee Passes Bill Allowing Online Lotto
Sales
ILLINOIS, USA (March 13, 2009) -- Illinois could soon
become the first state to sell lottery
tickets over the internet....................Subscribers
Republicans Back Expanded Gambling in
Illinois
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (March 12, 2009) -- In a
joint news conference Wednesday, House Minority Leader Tom Cross and his senate
counterpart Christine Radogno called for a major expansion of gaming to fund
improvements to highways and government buildings..............Subscribers
EDITORIAL: Online Lottery Ticket Sales No Jackpot, But Worth A
Try
BLOOMINGTON, Illinois (February 23, 2009) -- Senate
President John Cullerton thinks allowing individual Illinois lottery tickets to
be purchased online would raise significant revenue for the state -- perhaps as
much as $300 million..................Subscribers
Lawmaker Proposes Trialing Self Serve Lottery Machines at Rest
Areas
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (February 19, 2009) –
State Representative Mike Boland (East Moline) issued a statement today saying
that he has introduced new legislation that would generate funds by creating a
one-year pilot program to install lottery ticket machines at all state of
Illinois rest areas.................Subscribers
Senate President Proposes Internet, Management Changes at State
Lottery
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois. (February 16, 2009) - State
Senate President John Cullerton thinks Illinois could squeeze more money out of
its lottery by selling tickets online and hiring a private management
company......................Subscribers
Illinois Lottery Bets on New Technology to Grow
Games
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (January 23, 2009) -- Officials
at the Illinois Lottery are looking for better technology in an effort to sell
more tickets..............Subscribers
The
Illinois Lottery Announces New Ad Agency
CHICAGO, Illinois,
USA (January 22, 2009) -- The Illinois Lottery announced today that it has
awarded Energy BBDO its $105 million general market advertising
contract.................Subscribers
Blackhawks Fan Wins Million in Illinois Lottery
Promotion
CHICAGO, Illinois (January 21, 2009) -- The
Illinois Lottery officially started a new promotion with the Chicago Blackhawks
last Wednesday: One adult fan would be randomly chosen at each home game, and
if the Blackhawks scored at exactly the 10-minute mark of the second period --
not a second over or under -- then that fan would win $1 million. Just five
days later, someone sitting in Section 326 had already hit the
jackpot.................Subscribers.
Got
Rock, Paper, Scissors Skills? Illinois Lottery Launches Tournaments to give
Enthusiasts a Chance to win $500 in Cash
CHICAGO, Illinois
(January 15, 2009) -- The Illinois Lottery announced today the launch of the
new Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) instant ticket.................Subscribers.
Illinois Lottery Lease Plan Faces New
Obstacle
ILLINOIS, USA (October 28, 2008) -- A push to
privatize the Illinois Lottery faces a new roadblock - the U.S. Justice
Department, BND reported today. The department has issued an opinion saying
that....................Subscribers
Illinois Lottery Upgrades Point-of-Purchase Displays With
Carmanah LED Edge-Lit Light Panels
VICTORIA, BC, Canada
(October 14, 2008) -- Carmanah Technologies Corporation (TSX: CMH) has received
an order, valued at approximately $415,000 USD, to supply the Illinois Lottery
with LED edge-lit EvenLit™ light panels. The bright contemporary light
panels will be installed at retail outlets throughout the state to help
identify lottery retailers and promote Illinois Lottery
games................Subscribers
Lottomatica’s GTECH Subsidiary Signs Two-Year Contract
Extension With The Illinois Lottery
ROME (Italy) -
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND (U.S.) (October 9, 2008) --
Lottomatica S.p.A.’s wholly-owned
subsidiary GTECH Corporation announced it
has signed a two-year contract extension to continue providing online lottery
products and services to the Illinois Lottery through October 17,
2010.............Subscribers
Illinois House Panel OKs Privatizing State
Lottery
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (September 10, 2008) - A plan
to privatize the Illinois lottery has reportedly cleared an important
legislative hurdle.................Subscribers
Illinois Lottery Achieves Record-Breaking Sales in
FY08
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (September 5, 2008) – The
Illinois Lottery today reported sales of $2.078 billion for fiscal year 2008 -
the highest single-year sales in the Lottery’s 34 year history. FY08 sales
increased................Subscribers
Illinois House Moves Closer To Privatizing
Lottery
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (September 5, 2008) --
House Democrats are reportedly taking a new look at an unpopular idea -
privatizing the Illinois
lottery....................Subscribers
House
Speaker Backs Leasing State Lottery
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois
(September 2, 2008) -- Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan reportedly plans
to call the chamber back into session this month to consider leasing the
Illinois Lottery................Subscribers
Statehouse Democrats Show New Interest in Privatizing
Lottery
ILLINOIS (August 14, 2008) -- Speaker Michael
J. Madigan said Wednesday that House Democrats may reverse course and support
the governor's idea of privatizing the state lottery to pay for a statewide
construction program.................Subscribers
Illinois Lottery Ticket Sales Up, Despite Personal Spending
Cuts
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (July 25, 2008) –
According to local media reports sales figures for the Illinois Lottery were up
nearly 3 percent – to about $2.08 billion - in the fiscal year that ended
in June...............Subscribers
Senate Moves to Privatize Lottery
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (May 31, 2008) -- The Illinois Senate
today moved to privatize the state lottery and.............Subscribers
Little Chance of Both Chambers Passing Capital
Plan
CHICAGO, Illinois (May 28, 2008) -- Majority Leader
Barbara Flynn Currie gave little hope that construction program would pass
before Saturday’s adjournment deadline. She also said there were
"significant concerns" about a long-term lottery
lease...............Subscribers
State
Business Group Backs Lottery Lease
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois
(May 28, 2008) -- The Illinois Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday lent its support
for a plan to expand gambling in the state and lease most of the Illinois State
Lottery to a private company...............Subscribers
GameBeat Studios to Produce Music for the Illinois State
Lottery 2008 Summer Campaign
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (May 27,
2008)) -- GameBeat Studios is pleased to announce they have been awarded the
contract to produce the music for the Illinois State Lottery's 2008 summer
campaign...............Subscribers
If at First You
Don’t Succeed, Try and Try Again
Blagojevich
Administration Says Latest Plan is the Best
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois,
USA (May 4, 2008) -- Over the past three weeks, Blagojevich administration
officials have outlined a revamped plan to privatize the Illinois Lottery to
about three dozen lawmakers, explaining why the latest plan is better than
earlier versions.................Subscribers
Governor’s Lottery Privatization PR Campaign Gets
Underway
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (April 18, 2008) –
Governor Rod Blagojevich is launching his 2008 public relations campaign to
convince lawmakers to lease the Illinois Lottery to a private contractor as a
way to drum up billions in immediate revenue................Subscribers
Governor Not Ruling Out
Gambling Expansion
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (March 18, 2008)
- Governor Rod Blagojevich is reported as saying he is still willing to talk
about gambling expansion to pay for a statewide construction
program...................Subscribers
Illinois Lottery
Privatization Back on the Agenda
The Following is an
Extract from Governor Rod Blagojevich’s State of the State
address...............Subscribers
Governor Blagojevich
Launches Nation's First Lottery Ticket to Benefit HIV/AIDS Prevention and
Education
Top Political Figures and HIV/AIDS
Survivors Unveil the Quality of Life Illinois Lottery Game
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (February 11, 2008) -- Continuing his ongoing
support for HIV/AIDS prevention and education, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
today announced the launch of the nation’s first instant Lottery ticket in
the nation where 100 percent of net proceeds will support the fight against
HIV/AIDS...............Read the full story at:
Vol.42 No.7
Holiday Spending and
What it Means for the Lotteries
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA
(January 17, 2008) -- Independent Lottery Research (ILR), the Chicago based
Research Company which coined ‘Joe’ and
‘Jack’ to designate core versus non-core lottery consumers,
has released its National Poll results on Holiday spending..............Read the full story at: Vol.42 No.4
Your Ticket to Golden
Tee Glory and Riches is Only a Scratch Away!
CHICAGO,
Illinois, USA (January 15, 2008) -- Golden Tee and the Illinois Lottery have
teamed up to create a Golden Tee Golf Instant Ticket where players can win up
to $25,000 in cash or their very own Golden Tee machine -
instantly!..................Subscribers
Illinois Lottery Takes
in $2 billion for the First Time
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA
(December 26, 2007) -- Illinois Lottery receipts totalled more than $2 billion
in the fiscal year that ended in June................Subscribers
Millions Remain
Unclaimed in Lotteries
USA TODAY (December 6, 2007) --
More than $500 million in lottery prizes went unclaimed last year, according to
a USA TODAY analysis of lottery data. That's nearly two (2) percent of the $33
billion in prizes awarded................Subscribers
Lottery Bill Overcomes
Governor’s Veto, Becomes Law
ILLINOIS, USA (November
7, 2007) – The Legislative measure known as the Quality of Life bill
statute establishes the Quality of Life lottery game, which
would ..............Subscribers
Blagojevich
Administration Unveils New Veterans Cash Lottery Ticket, Double Action
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (November 5, 2007) -- Tammy
Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA)
joined the Illinois Lottery in Springfield today to unveil the new Veterans
Cash lottery ticket...............Subscribers
Illinois Lottery
launches Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program to Help Problem Gamblers
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (October 16, 2007) -- The
Illinois Lottery today launched their Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program that
allows people...........Subscribers
Lawmakers Consider Plan
for Unclaimed Lottery Money
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (October
15, 2007) -- Rep. Angelo Saviano has sponsored a bill to let lottery players
create online accounts to buy tickets.......Subscribers
Illinois' Newest
Millionaire Revealed During Million Dollar Summer
Finale
OREGON, Illinois, USA (September 24, 2007) -- The
Illinois Lottery televised its "Million Dollar Summer" finale game show
this weekend and determined Illinois' newest
millionaire...................Subscribers
House Rejects
Governor's Plan To Privatize Lottery
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois,
USA (July 6, 2007) -- House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is chairman of the
Illinois Democratic Party, led the House in rejecting a major part of Governor
Blagojevich's budget proposal............................Subscribers
It’s A Scorcher!
Lottery’s Second ‘Millionaire Raffle’ Heats Up the Summer
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (June 14, 2007) -- Illinois
Lottery players have a chance to win big this summer with the second
installment of the “Millionaire Raffle.” This limited-time
game will create four new millionaires this
summer.........................Subscribers
Governor Asks Lawmakers
to Revisit Lottery Privatization Plan
SPRINGFIELD,
Illinois, USA (June 7, 2007) -- Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly tried to
breathe new life into the idea of selling or leasing the state lottery on
Wednesday as he entered a second day of bipartisan budget
negotiations.............................Subscriptions
New Veterans Cash
Lottery Ticket Unveiled
MACHESNEY PARK, Illinois, USA (May
22, 2007) -- As the nation prepares to honor veterans this coming Memorial Day
Weekend, Tammy Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of
Veterans.............................Subscribers
Illinois Launches
Biggest Second-Chance Promotion in Lottery History
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (May 15, 2007) -- The Illinois Lottery has launched
a record-setting promotion called “Million Dollar Summer,”
with more than $300 million in total available cash
prizes.................................Read the
full story at: Vol.39 No.8
Funeral Held For Lottery
Chief CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (April 5, 2007) – Friends and
family packed the Cosmopolitan Community Church on Chicago's South Side on
Thursday for the funeral of Carolyn
Adams, the superintendent of the Illinois State
Lottery........................Subscribers
State Mourns Passing of
Illinois Lottery Superintendent Carolyn Adams
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (March 26, 2007) --
Carolyn Adams, 44, Superintendent of the
Illinois Lottery since May 2003, passed away Monday morning in Chicago
following a private struggle with breast cancer
Illinois Lottery Gives
Bears Fans Something to Cheer About on St. Patrick’s
Day
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (February 5, 2007) -- Even though
the Chicago Bears didn’t win the Super Bowl, the residents of Illinois
still have something good to cheer about. That’s because, today, the
Illinois Lottery is releasing .....................Read the full story at: Vol.38 No.7
Another US State Seeks
Bidders for State Lottery
ILLINOIS, USA (January 22, 2007)
– Illinois is seeking companies interested in bidding on the potential
Concession of the State Lottery. The state is also considering a public
offering of the lottery or a securitization...........................Subscribers
Illinois Lottery Shows
Chicago Cubs Fans What it Looks Like to be ‘Set For
Life’
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (October 2, 2006) --
Chicago Cubs fans experienced a win they never expected when Christy Davis won
$100,000 a year for the rest of her life in the Illinois Lottery’s
“Set for Life” grand finale event ...........................Read the full story at: Vol.36 No.14
Lottery Privatization Raised Again
CHICAGO,
Illinois, USA (September 11, 2006) – Governor Rod Blagojevich has
apparently not given-up on his plan to privatize the state lottery........Subscribers
Governor Seeking Advice
on Possible Lottery Sale
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (July
19, 2006) – The governor’s office is reportedly hiring a consultant
to prepare for the sale or lease of the Illinois State Lottery, even though the
General Assembly has not signed off on the plan..........Subscribers
Governor's Office Admits
it Has No Formal Report on Lottery Privatization Plan
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (May 31, 2006) – Republicans have called on
the governor to ..........Subscribers
Lottery Privatization
Plan Short on Detail
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (May 30,
2006) -- Since Governor Blagojevich announced recently that he plans to sell or
lease the state lottery ........Subscribers
Plan to Sell Lottery
Faces Obstacles
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (May 24, 2006)
-- Governor Rod Blagojevich outlined a plan on Tuesday to either sell or lease
the state’s lottery. Under the proposed plan, the state would ......Subscribers
Governor Floats Lottery
Options
ILLINOIS, USA (May 23, 20060 – Governor Rod
Blagojevich reportedly outlined a plan on Tuesday that would see the state
lottery either leased or sold to private enterprise..........Subscribers
Illinois Veterans Cash
In With New Lottery Game
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, USA (May
10, 2006) -- Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today announced that just three months
after going on sale, the state’s first lottery ticket to benefit Illinois
veterans and their families has generated more...........Read the full story at: Vol.35 No.6
Lottery to Air Gambling
Helpline Number on Daily Drawings
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA
(April 21, 2006) – The Illinois Lottery will reportedly begin airing a
toll-free number and information about getting help for gambling problems
during its daily drawings on........Subscribers
Lottery Introduces
System for Visually Impaired Retailers
CHICAGO, Illinois,
USA (March 23, 2006) -- The Illinois Lottery is reportedly introducing a new
system for visually impaired retailers as part of its ongoing retailer
recruitment initiative.............Subscribers
Lottery Criticized Over
Talent Fee
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (March 20, 2006) -- Some
Illinois lawmakers have reportedly criticized the state lottery for the fees it
pays talent to promote its lottery games.................................Subscribers
Santa Skips Joe’s
Houses This Year: “Joe Lottery” Becomes “Joe
Scrooge”
CHICAGO, Illinois, USA (February 7, 2006)
– Independent Lottery Research has found that consumers’ lukewarm
spending this past holiday season did not bode well for holiday lottery ticket
sales.........Subscribers
Scientific Games Awarded
$19.5 Million Illinois Lottery Instant Ticket Contract
NEW
YORK, USA (January 17, 2006) -- Scientific
Games Corporation signed a three year contract with the Illinois Lottery
for the supply of instant ticket games and related services.......Read the full story at: Vol.34 No.3
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