Gaming briefs for July 22, 2003

Tuesday, July 22, 2003 | 11:08 a.m.

Lottery sales soar

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Nebraska Lottery is on a roll.

Ticket sales increased 9.4 percent for the fiscal year ending June 30. The previous year lottery sales were up 11 percent, breaking five straight years of decline.

This most recent two years was the first time sales increased in back-to-back years since 1994 through 1996. Those were the first two years of the lottery in Nebraska.

The preliminary annual sales figure released Monday of $80.9 million was the highest since $81.8 million in 1996, the highest on record.

Jim Quinn, Nebraska Lottery director, attributed the high sales to successful changes made in the distribution and display of tickets and two high Powerball jackpots of $314 million and $261 million.

The changes implemented two years ago allowed more tickets to get out to retailers, Quinn said.

Retailers in turn increased the number of display units which allowed more tickets to be up for sale, he said.

Sales of scratch games, including bingo, $1, $2, $3 and $5 cards, increased 9.8 percent from $36.8 million to $40.4 million.

Tribes submit plan for six-story casino resort

SANFORD, Maine -- The Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes have submitted a sketch plan and a preliminary application to build a six-story casino resort.

The tribes have also acquired an option to purchase 74 acres across from Sanford Regional Airport from owner Marie J. Adams, a Sanford resident. The land is next to the 288 acres already under optioned from Modern Continental Precast Co. Inc., of Cambridge, Mass.

The long-awaited preliminary proposal, delivered to the town's planning office, provides more details about the scope of the $650 million project, which hinges on statewide approval in November.