ABOUT THIS SERIES
This series explored how Mainers falling on hard times rely on the lottery to rescue them. A first-ever statistical analysis of Maine lottery sales and census data by Cornell University, commissioned by our newsroom, showed lottery ticket sales rise when people lose their jobs. The state government spent millions to sway Mainers to buy more lottery tickets, our newsroom investigation found.
FEATURED STORY:
All Stories:
LePage: Lottery targets poor looking for ‘silver bullet’
Gov. Paul LePage said he believes the Maine State Lottery “absolutely” targets the poor and that if legislators passed a bill to end the lottery, he would sign it immediately.
Maine lawmakers fast-track lottery investigation
Panel members are keen to learn if the lottery's advertising strategy specifically targets Maine's poor.
Lawmakers, LePage: Welfare recipients shouldn’t spend benefits on lottery tickets
Lawmakers from both parties seek to pass legislation implementing ban on people on public assistance buying lottery tickets with taxpayer-funded benefits.
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