Local Retailers React To Potential Lotto Changes
By: Jim Madalinsky
Updated: January 12, 2013
ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY - With the lottery one step closer to heading overseas, local retailers are worried about what the change means for them.
"Lottery takes about 80 to 90 percent of our sales here," Susan Snyder of Fe Fi's Grocery Store says.
"Usually when people come get gas they usually always get lottery tickets with it," Khristina Slobodnik of Robert's Service Center says.
The new proposal by Camelot Global Services pledges an added 34 billion dollars in income over the next 20 years.
One way would be adding more games, like keno.
"If they add more games then people will probably buy more tickets. Everyone is excited to buy lottery," Slobodnik says.
While some retailers are excited about the possibility of adding some new options, others aren't so sure. Saying if it isn't broke, don't fix it.
"I've heard a lot of customers say that if they do switch to overseas that they will not buy as much lottery as they normally do and some would just not buy period," Snyder says.
Blair County lottery retailers made nearly $3 million last year off commissions.
Snyder says losing that lottery income would be crippling.
"It's going to hurt our business big time. Most of our business is lottery so it will affect us big time," Snyder says.
Eventhough the bid by the British firm has been accepted, the deal isn't done. The Senate Finance Committee will discuss the bid in a meeting on Monday.
"Lottery takes about 80 to 90 percent of our sales here," Susan Snyder of Fe Fi's Grocery Store says.
"Usually when people come get gas they usually always get lottery tickets with it," Khristina Slobodnik of Robert's Service Center says.
The new proposal by Camelot Global Services pledges an added 34 billion dollars in income over the next 20 years.
One way would be adding more games, like keno.
"If they add more games then people will probably buy more tickets. Everyone is excited to buy lottery," Slobodnik says.
While some retailers are excited about the possibility of adding some new options, others aren't so sure. Saying if it isn't broke, don't fix it.
"I've heard a lot of customers say that if they do switch to overseas that they will not buy as much lottery as they normally do and some would just not buy period," Snyder says.
Blair County lottery retailers made nearly $3 million last year off commissions.
Snyder says losing that lottery income would be crippling.
"It's going to hurt our business big time. Most of our business is lottery so it will affect us big time," Snyder says.
Eventhough the bid by the British firm has been accepted, the deal isn't done. The Senate Finance Committee will discuss the bid in a meeting on Monday.
Comments
Tom Corbett stop the small cafe's from running their small casinos, saying it took to much money from the lottery, then he sells it to someone out of the USA. What is wrong with this picture, can't anyone see what he's doing? Look what happen when our factorys when out of the us.
Dorothy W.
January 13, 2013 at 8:26 pm
You got that right Kathy....
Lana D.
January 13, 2013 at 4:54 pm
Hey why not outsource the whole country, we're 98
% there now.
Herb S.
January 12, 2013 at 8:47 pm
This should be by a vote of the people not our so called govenor.
kathy m.
January 12, 2013 at 5:30 pm
