Lottery courts Wal-Mart

The lottery sure would like to have its tickets available at Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Costco, Rite Aid and other large retailers.

And the retailers have told the lottery that they would like the extra money that tickets would bring. But the retailers are not crazy about having employees sell or keep an eye on tickets, lottery director Tom Shaheen told the Lottery Commission Thursday.

"Our corporate account staff has been pounding their heads into the ground for the past two years trying to get these accounts," Shaheen said.

The commission gave the sales reps a tool Wednesday that might help seal the deal. The commissioners approved spending up to $2.4 million on "lottery to go" machines, vending machines that can sell scratch-off as well as Powerball, Pick 3 and Cash 5 tickets.

The machines are built and sold by GTECH Holdings of Rhode Island, which has a contract to run the state's lottery games.

Shaheen said the lottery wouldn't buy or lease the machines unless a major retailer says they want them. But having the commission's approval to get the machines might help sales reps close the deal, he said.