Lottery says sales are back on the rise

By Globe Staff

The Massachusetts Lottery has dug itself out of a sales rut and expects to break revenue records this year, despite the down economy.

Thanks largely to huge demand for the Lottery's new $20 instant ticket, which was introduced last fall, Lottery sales are up 6 percent so far for the 2008 fiscal year, which ends June 30, officials said Wednesday.

The increase has been driven largely by instant ticket sales, which are up 10 percent over last year. The $20 instant ticket has brought in more than $500 million so far this year.

Officials said overall sales should beat the total for 2006, the Lottery's best year ever, by about 3 percent.

In the 2007 fiscal year, sales dipped from $4.52 billion to $4.46 billion, triggering fears among state officials that the lottery might have maxed out.

Experts on compulsive gambling are concerned about the $20 scratch tickets, worrying that the people who are attracted to them are those with more severe gambling problems, Margot Cahoon, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling, said this week.

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