TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Some state lawmakers are pushing a bill that would allow lottery tickets to be purchased with a debit or credit card.
Channel 9’s Racquel Asa found out, even though swiping a card for tickets could be easier. It could end up costing more.
The bill proposes that customers be asked at the pump if they would like to buy a lottery ticket, right after swiping their cars and typing in their zip code.
Store owner Akbar Parpia has sold winning lottery tickets before and his chances of selling more could go up if he’s able to give his customers the option of how they want to pay to play.
“Whether it’s a good idea or not, I don’t know, but it would definitely help sales. There’s no two ways about it,” he said.
Depending on the card used, store owners would have to pay a certain percentage out of their pocket or cover credit card fees, unless lawmakers allow them to charge a little more.
“When our credit card statement comes back, we might be short 2 percent, sometimes 3 percent,” said Parpia.
Officials with the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling worry customers will lose track of how many tickets they’re buying.
“When you are paying with credit, it’s easier to lose track,” said Jennifer Kruse, a member of the council.
It’s that ease which concerns the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling since a significant percentage of people who call them play the lotto.
“Allowing gambling on credit at the gas pump is going to put this type of gambling right in front of people who, in the past, could have avoided being exposed to lottery tickets by paying for their gas at the pump,” Kruse said.
Lawmakers on the other hand see the expansion as a way to help fund education while making it convenient for those who don’t carry cash.
“This is a personal choice. The money goes toward education, so it’s an opportunity for our citizens to support and an opportunity to play in the game,” said Sen. Garrett Richtier R-Naples.
If the bill makes it out of both the Florida House and Senate, the full Legislature will get a chance to vote on the proposal sometime early next year.