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5. Minnesota

 

60.65 points

 

 

6. Arizona

 

59.94 points

 

Good

Close scratch-offs when all top level prizes claimed

 

Maximum $10 scratch-off

 

$1.82 million toward problem gambling initiatives

Bad

Lottery winnings subject to state income tax

 

Not all levels of unclaimed prizes on web

 

No odds statements on back of online tickets

Good

Website available in Spanish

 

Must be 21 to play

 

Close scratch-offs when all top level prizes claimed

 

Maximum $10 scratch-off

 

Unclaimed prizes returned to players

 

All levels of unclaimed prizes on web

 

1 year to claim prizes

Bad

Use computer-generated numbers despite June 1998 computer-generated number foul-up that didn’t allow the number 9 to come up in the Pick-3 game

 

Scratch-off “free-ticket” prize

 

“Cash Value” of PowerBall prize not disclosed on web

 

Only “overall odds” statement on back of scratch-offs

 

Lottery winnings subject to state income tax

 

 

 

7. Illinois

 

59.20 points

 

 

8. Wisconsin

 

58.77 points

 

Good

One of 3 states (the others are Vermont and Wisconsin) to have the BEST PRACTICE of printing the odds of each prize level on the back of scratch tickets

 

Website available in Spanish

 

Close scratch-offs when all top level prizes claimed

 

Have a voluntary “self-exclusion” program

 

Bad

Odds for all different levels of prizes on scratch-offs not on website

 

Have “free-ticket” prize AND the odds statement “including break-even prizes”.  A free ticket is not a break-even prize, it puts you where you were after you buy a ticket, not where you were before you bought the ticket

 

Not all of the unclaimed prize $ returned to players

Good

One of 3 states (the others are Vermont and Illinois) to have the BEST PRACTICE of printing the odds of each prize level on the back of scratch tickets

 

On lotto tickets have the odds for each prize level printed on the FRONT of the ticket (a best practice)

 

Employees of retail stores are background checked and ticket checking machines in place to help prevent retailer fraud

 

No “free-ticket” prize

Bad

Instant game closing procedure not quite as good as higher ranked states

 

Unclaimed prize $ not returned to players

 

Do use the words “estimated annuity” to describe online prize amounts, not as good as actually giving the cash value