Kansas Lottery players may soon have a new way to buy tickets: from vending machines.
The Kansas House voted last week in support of the option which had been sought by the state lottery for the last years. Kansas Lottery spokeswoman Sally Lunsford said the measure would increase lottery revenue and cut labor costs for retailers, where ticket buyers could bypass clerks and use the self-service machines. According to Lunsford, 37 other states, including neighbors Missouri, Colorado and Oklahoma, use the machines.
Vending machines have increased lottery sales by up to 50 percent in other states, Lunsford said. Kansas Lottery sales have increased most years since the late 1980s, and revenue hit a record last year at $78 million, she said.