CHICAGO — The Illinois Lottery launched its Internet Pilot Program at 7 a.m. Sunday morning, becoming the first state in the country to sell lottery tickets over the Internet — two existing games, Mega Millions and Lotto.
Rick Melfi of Joliet has the distinct honor of being the first person in Illinois and the United States to legally purchase a lottery ticket via the Internet. He bought his Mega Millions tickets at 7:03 a.m.
“I was watching the morning news and saw the ticker come across the bottom on the screen saying that lottery tickets are now available online. I jumped on my computer and within minutes purchased my Mega Millions tickets for the $356 million jackpot for Tuesday night,” Melfi said.
“Yesterday the lottery began a new era, one in which we mirror how many people buy a wide range of products in 2012,” said Michael Jones, Superintendent of the Illinois Lottery.
“Hopefully people will find our interface to be intuitive, easy to use and that it will allow them to participate in Mega Millions and Lotto drawings within minutes. I’ve already been getting feedback from my friends. One said that buying lottery tickets online was easier and more convenient than buying concert tickets to jam band concerts.”
Research conducted for the Illinois Lottery in February indicated that selling Mega Millions tickets on the Internet will attract 600,000 to 1,000,000 new lottery players when jackpots are $100 million-plus. The Lottery is hoping to reach consumers who have grown up on the Internet but don’t think to buy lottery tickets.