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NH Lottery sales rebound after taking huge hit due to pandemic

NH Lottery sales rebound after taking huge hit due to pandemic
INDUSTRIES THEY SAW THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC BUT THEY STARTED TO BOUNCE BACK AS BUSINESSES REOPENED. BACK IN THE WINTER WHEN BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN, LOTTERY SALES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TOOK A HUGE HIT. THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF MARCH IT REALLY WENT FROM HEY WE’RE OK TO EVERYTHING GOES DARK. WE SAW AN ABSOLUTE CRATERING OF SALES. ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES REMAINED OPEN. >> YOU HAD TO GET ESSENTIAL GOODS ALL THE STORES ALL THE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE THAT HAVE TO SELL MILK AND BREAD ALSO SELL LOTTERY TICKETS. SIOBAHN: CHARLIE MCINTYRE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NH LOTTERY SAYS THINGS REALLY REBOUNDED IN APRIL WHEN MORE STORES OPENED UP AND PEOPLE STARTED VENTURING OUT MORE. HE CREDITS AN INFLUX OF ACTIVITY DUE TO PEOPLE FROM OUT OF STATE WHO CHOSE TO QURANTINE AT THEIR NEW HAMPSHIRE VACATION HOMES. BUT KENO REVENUE HALTED AS BARS WERE SHUT DOWN FOR MONTH >> THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF MARCH WERE DISMAL, DEVASTATING BECAUSE WE HAD JUST HIT OUR RECORD WEEK TWO WEEKS BEFO COVID HIT. SIOBAHN: MCINTYRE SAYS KENO HAS PICKED UP, BUT WITH MANY PROFESSIONAL SPORTS GAMES CANCELLED, SPORTS BETTING SUFFERED, HOWEVER THEY DID START TO SEE WAGERS ON DIFFERENT KINDS OF EVENTS. >> WE WERE DOING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF BETTING ON PING PONG AND RUSSIAN SOCCER. SIOBAHN: WITH PEOPLE BEING ABL TO BUY ONLINE, THEY’RE SEEING SUCCESS WITH I-LOTTERY, REPORTING A 110% INCREASE IN SALES YEAR OVER YEAR. MCINTYRE SAYS THE OUTLOOK FOR SPORTS BETTING IS POSITIVE BUT A LOT HINGES ON WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING WITH THE NFL S
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NH Lottery sales rebound after taking huge hit due to pandemic
The New Hampshire Lottery is counting itself lucky.New Hampshire Lottery officials say like most industries, they felt the impact of the pandemic earlier this year, but things started to bounce back as businesses reopened. Back in the winter when businesses shut down, lottery sales took a huge hit.“The first couple weeks of March, it really went from 'Hey, we're OK' to everything goes dark. We saw an absolute cratering of sales," said Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery.Essential businesses remained open, but McIntyre said things really rebounded in April when more stores opened up and people started venturing out more. He credits an influx of activity due to people from out of state who chose to quarantine at their New Hampshire vacation homes.But Keno revenue halted as bars were shut down for months.“The first couple weeks of March were dismal, devastating, because we had just hit our record week two weeks before COVID hit,” McIntyre said.McIntyre said Keno has picked up. But with many professional sports games canceled, sports betting suffered -- but they did start to see wagers on different kinds of events.“We were doing a considerable amount of betting on ping pong and Russian soccer,” McIntyre said.McIntyre said they’re also seeing success with iLottery, which lets people play online, where there’s been a 110% increase in sales year over year.McIntyre said the outlook for sports betting is positive but a lot hinges on what ends up happening with the NFL season.

The New Hampshire Lottery is counting itself lucky.

New Hampshire Lottery officials say like most industries, they felt the impact of the pandemic earlier this year, but things started to bounce back as businesses reopened.

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Back in the winter when businesses shut down, lottery sales took a huge hit.

“The first couple weeks of March, it really went from 'Hey, we're OK' to everything goes dark. We saw an absolute cratering of sales," said Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery.

Essential businesses remained open, but McIntyre said things really rebounded in April when more stores opened up and people started venturing out more. He credits an influx of activity due to people from out of state who chose to quarantine at their New Hampshire vacation homes.

But Keno revenue halted as bars were shut down for months.

“The first couple weeks of March were dismal, devastating, because we had just hit our record week two weeks before COVID hit,” McIntyre said.

McIntyre said Keno has picked up. But with many professional sports games canceled, sports betting suffered -- but they did start to see wagers on different kinds of events.

“We were doing a considerable amount of betting on ping pong and Russian soccer,” McIntyre said.

McIntyre said they’re also seeing success with iLottery, which lets people play online, where there’s been a 110% increase in sales year over year.

McIntyre said the outlook for sports betting is positive but a lot hinges on what ends up happening with the NFL season.