Retailer Round-Up
January 20, 2025
Enhancements Coming in April
These enhancements are intended to create larger jackpots, higher minimum prizes, and better odds. A detailed information sheet will be coming your way in early February.
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month
Problem Gambling Awareness Month is observed every March. This campaign works to increase awareness and help people take the first steps towards making a change to their gambling.
Did you know that in Oregon, counseling services are available to anyone affected by their own or someone else’s gambling? Anyone can call, chat, or text with a trained gambling counselor and best of all, help is FREE and confidential.
As a retailer, if you or someone you know wants to make a change to their gambling, visit OPGR.org. There is even a new app available called EVIVE that Oregonians can download for free; just visit OPGR.org or call 1-877-MY-LIMIT for more information.
2024-25 Oregon Teacher of the Year
This past fall, in rural and urban communities throughout the state, Oregon Lottery, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education, helped honor 18 outstanding teachers from regions across the state. Each teacher was awarded $1,000 and Bryan Butcher Jr. from Portland’s Beaumont Middle School was named the 2024-25 Oregon Teacher of the Year. Butcher received an additional $10,000 for the top honor. If you know a deserving teacher in your community, nominate them before February 6!
Security of Lottery
Lottery Security, Account Managers, and Retail Contracts will be working over the next couple months with retailers to secure their Lottery products. With the increase in theft
and counterfeiting, Lottery products, including video cash slip paper and Scratch-its, need to be treated like currency. This educational campaign is an effort to ensure all retailers
secure and protect Lottery supplies and products at all times. We will provide our retailers clear guidance and expectations to maintain compliance with 8.2 of the Retailer
Contract.
Lottery’s expectation is that each retailer secure and protect Lottery supplies and products, as well as properly dispose of supplies. Securing Lottery products helps to ensure the fairness and integrity of the games in an effort to protect the players, retailers, and the Lottery against theft and fraud. Over the next few months, Lottery will be working closely with retailers to ensure their products are stored securely and disposed of properly in a manner that complies with 8.2.
We realize that this will look different for the video cash slips than Scratch-its. It is a necessary step towards consistency and security across all Lottery locations and will ultimately benefit the players, retailers and Lottery alike.
Best Practice Reminders
retail employee facing charges for theft of winning ticket
We recently shared news that a store employee is facing charges after they were caught stealing a winning lottery ticket as part of a Retail Integrity Check operation with Oregon State Police.
In light of this case, here are some best practices to consider:
- Train your staff to understand the risks and consequences of stealing and make it clear that cases have been prosecuted
- Retailers must return non-winning Scratch-its to players
- Remind players to sign their tickets to prevent fraud
scratch-its
Scratch-its are a hands-on product with important policies and bet practices that, if missed, can end up costing you and your business. Here are critical best practices that you should follow when confirming your Scratch-its shipments.
Once you receive your shipment, immediately confirm it is accurate. Make sure to verify individual game and pack numbers, not just the number of packs you received. Call Lottery Customer Service immediately if there is any discrepancy between what is received and what the packing slip lists.
Do not confirm a shipment with missing or extra packs unless instructed to by Lottery Customer Service. Reminder: Retailers are financially liable for all packs they confirm.
don’t engage in sports betting pools
With the Super Bowl game coming up in February, the Oregon Lottery wants to remind you that sports betting pools could cost you your contract. Sports betting such as football pools, March Madness brackets, and NASCAR pools are illegal in the state of Oregon.
While they might be fun, participation in such pools could result in unlawful gambling charges for both you and your customers. In addition, participation in such pools could put your Oregon Lottery retailer status in jeopardy. Please refrain from taking part in these pools in order to maintain positive business practices.
Questions?
Contact your Account Manager or our customer service team at 1-800-766-6789
