Mass State Lottery makes guest appearance at Cannabis Control Commission meeting
Last fall, a cannabis dispensary that had opened in an old lottery building decided to get in on the previous occupant’s business. So the owners applied for a license to sell lotto tickets, and got fairly far in the process before someone realized that, as a dispensary, they’re likely forbidden from doing that.
“They did apply for a lottery license,” Mass State Lottery General Counsel Gregory Polin told the Cannabis Control Commission last week. “We looked at it. … They met our licensing standards and we did not see the fact that they were licensed with you as prohibited for their lottery license. So, we’re looking forward to working with the Cannabis Control Commission.”
Polin and MSL Chief Revenue Officer Steve Martins spoke to the CCC amidst the latter’s ongoing discussions around whether cannabis license holders should be able to sell lottery products at dispensaries. Polin said that some cannabis shops have made inquiries along those lines, but the aforementioned application that was filed last fall was the first that made it that far in the process.
While commissioners voted to table the discussion until more information could be gathered, the meeting left the door open to the possibility of a partnership down the line. With many cannabis companies struggling to pay their bills, many retailers are looking to additional revenue streams—from events, to merchandise, to paraphernalia and even more basic items that you might find in a convenience store.
Mass Lottery offers several products including instant tickets, draw games, and monitor games like Keno that have live drawings every couple of minutes. Since the latter requires a devoted floor space at the location for someone to stand around and watch a screen, Polis said that particular option may not work, since loitering is not permitted at dispensaries.
Following the recommendation of Cannabis Advisory Board member John Carmichael, the City of Newton police chief, commissioners agreed it would be beneficial for CCC investigators or compliance officers to sit through a demo of how the partnership might work in the future.
In 2023, Colorado state officials ruled that dispensaries operating there could legally sell lottery tickets. Mass officials inquired about that scenario while researching the matter. At the CCC’s March meeting, Acting Director of Investigations and Enforcement Nomxolisi Khumalo said the Pig ‘N’ Whistle dispensary in Denver was the only pot shop in the state registered with the Colorado Lottery, but it went back to selling only marijuana after about a month due to weak lotto sales.
