Public Act 097-1121
 
SB3497 EnrolledLRB097 19803 AMC 65073 b

    AN ACT concerning the lottery.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 10. The Illinois Lottery Law is amended by changing
Section 7.12 and adding Section 14.4 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 1605/7.12)
    Sec. 7.12. Internet pilot program.
    (a) The General Assembly finds that:
        (1) the consumer market in Illinois has changed since
    the creation of the Illinois State Lottery in 1974;
        (2) the Internet has become an integral part of
    everyday life for a significant number of Illinois
    residents not only in regards to their professional life,
    but also in regards to personal business and communication;
    and
        (3) the current practices of selling lottery tickets
    does not appeal to the new form of market participants who
    prefer to make purchases on the internet at their own
    convenience.
    It is the intent of the General Assembly to create an
Internet pilot program for the sale of lottery tickets to
capture this new form of market participant.
    (b) The Department shall create a pilot program that allows
an individual 18 years of age or older to purchase lottery
tickets or shares on the Internet without using a Lottery
retailer with on-line status, as those terms are defined by
rule. The Department shall restrict the sale of lottery tickets
on the Internet to transactions initiated and received or
otherwise made exclusively within the State of Illinois. The
Department shall adopt rules necessary for the administration
of this program. These rules shall include, among other things,
requirements for marketing of the Lottery to infrequent
players, as well as limitations on the purchases that may be
made through any one individual's lottery account. The
provisions of this Act and the rules adopted under this Act
shall apply to the sale of lottery tickets or shares under this
program.
    Before beginning the pilot program, the Department of the
Lottery must submit a request to the United States Department
of Justice for review of the State's plan to implement a pilot
program for the sale of lottery tickets on the Internet and its
propriety under federal law. The Department shall implement the
Internet pilot program only if the Department of Justice does
not object to the implementation of the program within a
reasonable period of time after its review.
    The Department is obligated to implement the pilot program
set forth in this Section and Sections 7.15 and 7.16 only at
such time, and to such extent, that the Department of Justice
does not object to the implementation of the program within a
reasonable period of time after its review. While the Illinois
Lottery may only offer Lotto, and Mega Millions, and Powerball
games through the pilot program, the Department shall request
review from the federal Department of Justice for the Illinois
Lottery to sell lottery tickets on the Internet on behalf of
the State of Illinois that are not limited to just these games.
    The Department shall authorize the private manager to
implement and administer the program pursuant to the management
agreement entered into under Section 9.1 and in a manner
consistent with the provisions of this Section. If a private
manager has not been selected pursuant to Section 9.1 at the
time the Department is obligated to implement the pilot
program, then the Department shall not proceed with the pilot
program until after the selection of the private manager, at
which time the Department shall authorize the private manager
to implement and administer the program pursuant to the
management agreement entered into under Section 9.1 and in a
manner consistent with the provisions of this Section.
    The pilot program shall last for not less than 36 months,
but not more than 48 months from the date of its initial
operation.
    Nothing in this Section shall be construed as prohibiting
the Department from implementing and operating a website portal
whereby individuals who are 18 years of age or older with an
Illinois mailing address may apply to purchase lottery tickets
via subscription. Nothing in this Section shall also be
construed as prohibiting the sale of Lotto, Mega Millions, and
Powerball games by a lottery licensee pursuant to the
Department's rules.
    (c) There is created the Internet Lottery Study Committee
as an advisory body within the Department. The Department shall
conduct a study to determine the impact of the Internet pilot
program on lottery licensees. The Department shall also
determine the feasibility of the sale of stored value cards by
lottery licensees as a non-exclusive option for use by
individuals 18 years of age or older who purchase tickets for
authorized lottery games in the Internet pilot program. For the
purposes of this study, it is anticipated that the stored value
cards will have, but need not be limited to, the following
characteristics: (1) the cards will be available only to
individuals 18 years of age and older; (2) the cards will be
rechargeable, closed-loop cards that can only be loaded with
cash; (3) the cards will have unique identifying numbers to be
used for on-line play; (4) the cards will have on-line play
subtracted from the card's value; (5) the cards may have
on-line winnings added to them; (6) the cards will be used at
Lottery retailers to cash out winnings of up to $600; and (7)
the cards will meet all technological, programming, and
security requirements mandated by the Department and the
governing bodies of both Mega Millions and Powerball.
    To the fullest extent possible, but subject to available
resources, the Department shall ensure that the study evaluates
and analyzes at least the following issues:
        (1) economic benefits to the State from Internet
    Lottery sales from stored value cards and from resulting
    sales taxes;
        (2) economic benefits to local governments from sales
    taxes generated from Internet Lottery sales through stored
    value cards;
        (3) economic benefits to Lottery retailers from
    Internet Lottery sales and from ancillary retail product
    sales in connection with the same;
        (4) enhanced player age verification from face-to-face
    interaction;
        (5) enhanced control of gambling addiction from
    face-to-face interaction;
        (6) elimination of credit card overspending through
    the use of stored value cards and resulting reduced debt
    issues;
        (7) the feasibility of the utilization of existing
    Lottery machines to dispense stored value cards;
        (8) the technological, programming, and security
    requirements to make stored value cards an appropriate
    sales alternative; and
        (9) the cost and project time estimates for
    implementation, including adaptation of existing Lottery
    machines, programming, and technology enhancements and
    impact to operations.
    The Study Committee shall consist of the Superintendent or
his or her designee; the chief executive officer of the
Lottery's private manager or his or her designee; a
representative appointed by the Governor's Office; 2
representatives of the lottery licensee community appointed by
the Superintendent; one representative of a statewide
association representing food retailers appointed by the
Superintendent; and one representative of a statewide
association representing retail merchants appointed by the
Superintendent.
    Members of the Study Committee shall be appointed within 30
days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
97th General Assembly. No later than 6 months after the
effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General
Assembly, the Department shall provide to the members of the
Study Committee the proposed findings and recommendations of
the study in order to solicit input from the Study Committee.
Within 30 calendar days thereafter, the Study Committee shall
convene a meeting of the members to discuss the proposed
findings and recommendations of the study. No later than 15
calendar days after meeting, the Study Committee shall submit
to the Department any written changes, additions, or
corrections the Study Committee wishes the Department to make
to the study. The Department shall consider the propriety of
and respond to each change, addition, or correction offered by
the Study Committee in the study. The Department shall also set
forth any such change, addition, or correction offered by
members of the Study Committee and the Department's responses
thereto in the appendix to the study. No later than 15 calendar
days after receiving the changes, additions, or corrections
offered by the Study Committee, the Department shall deliver
copies of the final study and appendices, if any, to the
Governor, President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the
Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives, and each of the members
of the Study Committee.
(Source: P.A. 96-34, eff. 7-13-09; 96-37, eff. 7-13-09; 96-840,
eff. 12-23-09; 97-464, eff. 10-15-11.)
 
    (20 ILCS 1605/14.4 new)
    Sec. 14.4. Investigators.
    (a) The Department has the power to appoint investigators
to conduct investigations, searches, seizures, arrests, and
other duties required to enforce the provisions of this Act and
prevent the perpetration of fraud upon the Department or the
public. These investigators have and may exercise all the
powers of peace officers solely for the purpose of ensuring the
integrity of the lottery games operated by the Department.
    (b) The Superintendent must authorize to each investigator
employed under this Section and to any other employee of the
Department exercising the powers of a peace officer a distinct
badge that, on its face, (i) clearly states that the badge is
authorized by the Department and (ii) contains a unique
identifying number. No other badge shall be authorized by the
Department.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.