The Illinois Lottery has come up with a new way to stop problem gamblers from having too much of a ball: They’ll simply refuse to hand over the jackpot.
Lotto addicts who join a voluntary self-exclusion program still can play the game but won’t be able to collect prizes of $600 or more should they strike it rich through the lottery or scratch-off tickets.
“We’re limiting their incentives to buy lottery tickets. We’re making sure they can’t go after the big, million-dollar jackpots,” said lottery spokeswoman Katie Ridgway. “If they sign up for the program, they know they won’t be able to win it, so hopefully they will stop themselves.”
Critics said the program has too many loopholes to be effective.
“What a joke that is. … It seems really dumb to me,” said state Rep. Rosemary Mulligan (R-Des Plaines). “I don’t think it’ll stop a problem and compulsive gambler.”
Sen. Randy Hultgren (R-Winfield) said the program won’t help determined gamblers from throwing away money on tickets.
“Some people who are addicted will want that thrill of buying that ticket,” he said. “Maybe they’ll hand it off to someone else to collect the winnings.”
The lottery’s plan mimics a voluntary self-exclusion plan implemented at Illinois casinos in 2002.
But because casino visitors don’t have to show identification when boarding the riverboats, some people who ban themselves still are allowed to gamble.
Scott Damiani, the executive director of the state-funded Outreach Foundation in Downers Grove, said the lottery’s self-exclusion list may make problem gamblers think twice.
“Is it perfect? No,” Damiani said. “But realistically right now, I don’t think it would be possible to ban people from buying the tickets just because we’re talking about tens of thousands of places where you can buy lottery tickets.”
