WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Even in a city as big as Washington D.C., some of the hottest tickets in town are lottery tickets. The jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions are approaching record territory and people want to play and dream of how their lives would change if the numbers fall their way.
One viewer emailed us saying a store forced them to buy something else before getting a lottery ticket, which they had never experienced before. They wanted to know if this was allowed.
THE QUESTION
Are retailers allowed to require customers purchase other items to play the lottery?
THE SOURCES
ANSWER
No, customers do not have to buy other items in order to buy lottery tickets
WHAT WE FOUND
Retailers must abide by state or district regulations to maintain a license to sell lottery tickets.
Spokespeople for the regulatory agencies in Maryland and Washington D.C. both told WUSA9 via email that stores may not force customers to buy non-lottery items to buy lottery tickets.
They encouraged customers to report any such instances to them for further investigation.
The Washington D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming said that, depending on the nature of the violation, punishments could include a warning, additional training, a fine, or a suspension or revocation of the retailer’s license.
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency said its first step is for staff members to speak with the retailer and inform them of the rules. If the store continues to require customers to purchase other items, they could face a suspension or termination of their lottery license.
Retailers in Washington D.C. receive a five percent commission on all online and instant ticket sales. They receiver a four percent commission for instant prizes paid out, and three percent for online ticket prizes paid out. Additionally, they can earn up to $25,000 for selling jackpot tickets for Powerball or Mega Millions.
Maryland pays retailers a six percent commission on all ticket sales and three percent for all prizes paid. Retailers may also collect a commission worth .001 percent of the jackpot for Powerball, Mega Millions, and Multi-Match.
UPDATE (7/20, 11:00 a.m.)
A spokesperson for the Virginia Lottery says no regulation exists in Virginia related to requiring customers to purchase additional items. State law forbids retailers from only selling lottery tickets. The spokesperson said customers are free to shop at other locations if they do not like the policies of individual stores.