Over the past week or so, we’ve been busting some common myths about the Arkansas Lottery. Today, let’s briefly turn our attention to the Lottery Commission’s rules governing the lottery ticket vending machines—and particularly how these ambiguous rules could lead to machines that look more like casino slot machines.
The mention of “continuous play” in the vending machines rules is what causes concern. This term—when applied to the vending machines—allows players to cash in winning tickets for machine credit, and use that credit to from the buy more lottery tickets vending machine. This means that a person could stand in front of a vending machine for hours on end, feeding what few winnings they get back into the machine.
What’s the ultimate difference between this kind of “continuous play” with ticket vending machines and casino slot machines? I would argue that there is barely a difference, and since the term isn’t further defined, it’s very possible to see future machines that function exactly like slot machines.
One has to ask: Why does the Lottery Commission insist upon keeping the rules ambiguous unless they see such a future on the horizon?
