Gov. Charlie Baker included language in his budget to let Massachussetts residents buy lottery tickets with their debit cards, though credit cards would still be prohibited.
The Republican governor’s $44.6 billion budget includes a provision for cashless payments, following legislation that has proposed similar changes to the state’s lottery.
“Although the Massachusetts State Lottery is performing at its highest levels, we must make sure it is well-positioned in this increasingly competitive environment,” State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg said in a statement to MassLive. “To continue to perform at our best, we need the flexibility of cashless transactions to meet the demands of our changing marketplace.”
Lawmakers proposed cashless transactions through amendments to the 2018 Economic Development bill, but they were not adopted.
Goldberg, a Democrat, filed language as a standalone bill for the 2019-20 legislative session.
The House gave initial approval to multiple bills dealing with modernizing lottery payments, the State House News Service reported.
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https://www.masslive.com/politics/2020/01/massachusetts-lottery-tickets-could-soon-be-purchased-with-debit-cards.html