No-One's Checking Whether Lottery Ticket Buyers Who Use Vending Machines Are Under-Age

The Massachusetts lottery vending machines from the 1990's are due for replacement.

Right now in Massachusetts no-one checks whether vending machine lottery ticket buyers are over 18 - the legal age to play.

And with 8,500 new machines being considered, the Massachusetts State Lottery is looking to make some changes to close the loop-hole, reports WWLP.

Patrick Tying of Chicopee agrees that some restriction should be put in place.

The changes means that players who want to buy scratch tickets from vending machines commonly found in the checkout areas of large supermarkets — so-called Player Activated Terminals, or PATs — first need to scan their driver’s licenses.

“I think it would be a great idea, kids can buy tickets now if nobody is looking. So if you add a license scanner then it will prevent any chance of them buying them illegally” said Patrick Tying of Chicopee.

Massachusetts State Lottery Commission’s executive director, Beth Bresnahan.

In a letter to retailers, Massachusetts State Lottery Commission’s executive director Beth Bresnahan said the lottery’s long-term plan is for every vending machine to include an age-verification system, though it did not specify a deadline.

A 14-year-old enlisted by the Public Health Advocacy Institute buys lottery tickets from a vending machine in Boston. PHOTO: Public Health Advocacy Institute

Massachusetts is the only state in the nation to use lottery machines from the 1990’s, however the state does have one of the most successful lottery programs.

Residents spent $736 on lottery games last year, on average - more than any other state.

It doesn’t seem like a good idea, says Richard Facchini of Springfield.

“It doesn’t seem like a good idea, I think we could use the resources elsewhere. I would think it would be hard to micromanage people using that. I would rather see our state use money in other avenues” said Richard Facchini of Springfield.

These machines process nearly 5 billion dollars in bets a year for instant lottery games.