Thread by @JimRosicaFL

The state's revenue estimators are now considering the impact of a bill passed this session mandating new warnings on @floridalottery tickets. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Lottery officials say there is currently no legal mandate to put warnings on tickets, though they do promote responsible play. #FlaPol

@floridalottery The new bill (HB 629) calls for warnings to say either “WARNING: LOTTERY GAMES MAY BE ADDICTIVE” or just “PLAY RESPONSIBLY.” #FlaPol

@floridalottery Officials say owners of trademarked games like Wheel of Fortune and Monopoly don't want warnings, may not allow those games to be sold anymore. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Big "corporate retailers" also oppose the idea of putting warnings on lottery tickets, officials tell Revenue Estimating Conference. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Amy Baker asks if game makers feel so strongly they would not allow the games to played in Florida. Makers don't like even the latest warnings in bill, and multi-state lottery products (think Powerball) may pull out of Florida. #FlaPol

@floridalottery That could be a $300M a year loss in revenue, officials say. That means less money for education, since Lottery proceeds go to education in Florida. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Lottery is painting worst picture possible as result of this bill. For example, as to big retailers: "They could rethink their partnership with us." More potential millions lost being mentioned. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Now they're saying they may need extra staff to "monitor compliance" with the bill. @floridalottery may need to "enlarge" scratch-off tickets to accommodate warnings; that'll cost another $3M to do. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Lottery officials also saying this change affects online tickets too. They may have to change font size, etc., to make sure tickets print correctly. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Now saying this bill could result in a minimum $79.4 million loss to education, and that's assuming they can still sell multi-state products like Powerball. #FlaPol

@floridalottery We're told "big retailers" in particular don't want to have to put big signs in their display windows that say "WARNING: LOTTERY GAMES MAY BE ADDICTIVE." #FlaPol

@floridalottery "They may not be any steps we can tell a retailer" to do otherwise, Lottery official says. But Baker says cigarettes have warnings and people still buy those. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Baker also makes the point that people rarely read the front of a lottery ticket in any detail, let alone the back of the ticket. When she buys one, "I just scratch" to see if she won, she says. #FlaPol

@floridalottery Now, a "Play Responsibly" message is on the back of scratch-off tickets and in promo material. #FlaPol

@floridalottery "Nobody like their business to be branded in a negative way, I get that ... but I'm not sure that" retailers and game-makers are all going to pull out, says the @FLSenate 's Jose Diez-Arguelles. #FlaPol

@floridalottery @FLSenate Amy Baker suggests (my words, not hers) that @floridalottery is being a Chicken Little about the effects of a new warning label on tkts, again notes that "play responsibly" is already on tkts. #FlaPol

@floridalottery @FLSenate "I'm not saying it's ideal for you all," Baker says to Lottery officials, "but I don't think it's as dire for you guys" as they are saying, she says. #FlaPol

@floridalottery @FLSenate Baker says she's not "persuaded" by the Lottery's loss numbers, says it's "indeterminate" at best, but is willing to roll over consideration of revenue impacts to next week's meeting. #FlaPol

@floridalottery @FLSenate It's worth noting that a previous version of this bill had a warning that said, “WARNING: PLAYING A LOTTERY GAME CONSTITUTES GAMBLING AND MAY LEAD TO ADDICTION AND/OR COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR. THE CHANCES OF WINNING A BIG PRIZE ARE VERY LOW.” #FlaPol

@floridalottery @FLSenate It's also worth noting that the Legislature still has not sent the bill to @GovRonDeSantis' desk. Also, no one has yet asked whether @floridalottery Secretary Jim Poppell has asked the Gov. to veto the bill. #FlaPol

@floridalottery @FLSenate @GovRonDeSantis The bill is now being continued to next week's meeting of the Revenue Estimating Conference, while they gather more information. Now taking a 5 min. break.
End of thread.
#FlaPol

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