Rochester, N.Y. - Several states, including New York are making a big push to allow the online purchase of lottery tickets following a Justice Department decision last month.
"You’re not gonna magically connect with several thousand people that have never done it before," says George Cook, Executive Professor of Marketing at the University of Rochester.
On December 23, 2011 the federal government cleared the way for online gambling after reversing a ruling from 1961 that was interpreted as preventing the sale of lottery tickets online.
Some lawmakers and Governor Cuomo hope the move will open up new streams of revenue but experts say it's unclear if more people would start gambling or if people would just move from convenience stores to the computer.
" I think it’s logical that you could get hooked on this venue and it’s very easy to do and you can buy as many tickets as your credit card would allow you to buy," Cook adds.
New York State's lottery commissioner says he is behind the plan but wants more research to be done first.
