US interstate e-lotteries protect their rights
US interstate e-lotteries protect their rights
Interlotto (www.thebigbiglotto.com), Lottery Universe and other American state lottery internet services offered US residents the opportunity to bet on lotteries outside their home state. The companies’ services are becoming popular, but this activity has met legislative resistance because reselling lottery tickets is considered illegal under the US Federal law. However, the companies protected their business and defended their legitimate status, according to Onlinecasinonews.com.
Avatar Group, the owner of Lottery Universe website, positions itself as a "service agent". John Feldman, an attorney representing Avatar, said, "It’s just a service that purchases tickets on behalf of the customer through regular channels, without actually selling lottery tickets. It's like calling your brother in-law in Florida and asking him to buy a lottery ticket for you."
Many state attorneys argued that taking a fee in order to cross state boundaries and to buy a lottery ticket for another person is illegal. Only authorized retailers can be granted the right to sell lottery tickets. But Avatar claimed that these tickets aren't resold because they never leave the state.
Nevertheless the Texas State Lottery Commission sent a report to the Harris County District Attorney's office. The Commission accused Avatar of violatingthe Texas State Lottery Act, claiming the company servers as an intermediary, as it sells state lottery tickets with a markup. Feldman, however, called it a "handling fee" and said the company will go ahead till the Harris County district attorney's office awards a sentence after necessary investigations.
