News for Immediate Release
Feb. 14, 2013
Auditor General DePasquale Issues Statement on Lottery Contract
HARRISBURG – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today issued the following statement on Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s legal rejection of Gov. Tom Corbett’s contract to have a private company manage the Pennsylvania Lottery:
“While I have not opposed all privatization, in the case of the Pennsylvania Lottery, Attorney General Kane and her team of lawyers made the right decision after identifying the legal flaws in the contract that would have led to an unprecedented expansion of gambling without legislative and public input.
“I am concerned that the benefits from the private management agreement would not meet or exceed what the current, very well run Lottery could produce in the same time frame. That concern, and the decision to expand gaming, need to be addressed with input from the public and Pennsylvania General Assembly before we go any further.
“I suspect today’s decision will not be the end of this story, but I hope Gov. Corbett will carefully weigh the cost to taxpayers before he decides to pursue this matter further. My office will continue to monitor the situation and be prepared to conduct and fair and independent audit should the contract eventually be implemented.”
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Media contact: Barry Ciccocioppo, 717-783-1381 (Cell: 717-462-0589)