TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A Florida senator has introduced a bill that would allow lottery tickets to be sold online.
The legislation, Senate Bill 266, was filed by Fla. Senator Gwen Margolis (D-Miami) on January 17. The measure is co-sponsored by Fla. Representative Joe Gibbons (D-Hallandale Beach) through House Bill 275.
The bill would give the Department of the Lottery the right to create and administer a program that provides for the sale of lottery tickets online, without using an online lottery retailer. Customers would be able to buy a ticket "via a subscription mechanism," according to the bill. The department would also be able to create the rules governing the online sales.
WTXL spoke with Senator Margolis, who said that the move was a "good idea." However, she said that officials have "nothing to rely on" when it comes to how online lottery programs are performing in other states.
That's due to the fact there aren't many states with the programs. Illinois has made the move to have an online lottery back in March 2012, and Georgia has an online lottery program as well.
More states creating their own programs after an opinion from the Justice Department that reverses a long-standing policy, the 1961 Wire Act, and says states are free to conduct online gambling within their borders.
If the Florida bill is passed, it would go into effect on July 1, 2013.
To see the full bill, click on the following link: www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2013/0266/BillText/Filed/PDF .
