Some Liquor Mart stores selling lotto tickets
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/03/2020 (1758 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The province has quietly started to take lottery sales into its own hands, as select Winnipeg Liquor Mart stores have been fitted with lottery ticket terminals.
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MLL) is remaining fairly tight-lipped about the development so far. Representatives declined requests for an interview on Thursday, but confirmed in an email statement that three Liquor Mart locations have begun selling lotto tickets “as a matter of customer convenience.”
The first such store, the Fort Richmond location, told the Free Press Thursday that it has been providing lotto tickets for “a while” now, though MLL would not confirm how long this initiative has been in place.
The Dakota Street and Eastwinds Liquor Mart locations both confirmed that their stores began selling lotto tickets only recently.
A spokesperson for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries said in an email that there are “no plans right now” to roll these lotto ticket sales out to the wider Liquor Mart network, stating that the terminals are in place for customer convenience at “these few select locations” only.
The project was first introduced at Fort Richmond with no fanfare and no press release. Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries would not provide comment on why specific stores were chosen, or what the goals of the initiative are.
In order to sell lottery tickets, Manitoba retailers need both approval from Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries and a licence from the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority (LGCA). According to the LGCA’s 2018/19 annual report, there are 918 lottery retail licences active in the province.
The LGCA confirmed to the Free Press that Liquor Mart lotto ticket locations would be subject to the same regulations as private retailers once they receive a licence.
According to the Liquor and Lotteries website, private retailers earn a five per cent commission on the sale of tickets at their location, with potential bonuses for those that sell high volumes. MLL reports providing nearly $19 million in the 2018/19 fiscal year to its lottery retail partners to cover commissions, contributions, margins and handling fees.
julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @jsrutgers
Julia-Simone Rutgers
Reporter
Julia-Simone Rutgers is a climate reporter with a focus on environmental issues in Manitoba. Her position is part of a three-year partnership between the Winnipeg Free Press and The Narwhal, funded by the Winnipeg Foundation.
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History
Updated on Thursday, March 5, 2020 7:03 PM CST: updates background image.
Updated on Friday, March 6, 2020 6:23 AM CST: Corrects typo
Updated on Friday, March 6, 2020 8:51 AM CST: Adds photo
Updated on Friday, March 6, 2020 9:55 AM CST: Updates number of lottery retail licences
