The possibility of declining revenue has made state lottery officials in the business of assessing the possibilities of illegal gambling in Indiana. Theory says that the center of the problem might be at local truck stops and convenience stores. The reason for that is that these businesses are where illegal gadgets often contend against the sale of lottery tickets.
Gov. Mitch Daniels’ encourages, starting this year, that Indiana’s police begin seizing cash and the illegal devices. There is now a direction to look, and the police have just ignored it. Now illegal business is ousting the state lotto.
Police have shut down over 500 machines and seized $30,000, so far, but that is local. The police jurisdiction doesn’t extend to truck stops, and convenience stores, where liquor isn’t sold. In those cases jurisdictions do not apply, and now are problematic for the situation.
Executive Director Esther Schneider of the Hoosier Lottery proposes a count to get lottery retailers to find out how many of them have illegal gambling devices. If that proves to do well, the solution for police jurisdiction will be underway. In the meantime the problem is getting too big competing against the Indiana’s state lotto. |
