TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey lottery officials were dealt another blow after discontinuing a new poker game just three days after launching.
The Record reported (https://njersy.co/2wRckIy ) that officials pulled the High Card Poker scratch-off game from circulation on Aug. 10 because of confusion concerning rules.
According to lottery spokeswoman Judy Drucker, the lottery discontinued the game because of players misunderstanding win scenarios. Players needed to beat the dealer’s hand to win the game.
Drucker said over 1 million tickets were sent to retailers. Workers spent time collecting tickets from stores across the state last week.
The misstep came after three consecutive years of low sales from the private company Northstar that manages the lottery. Northstar has spent millions in state allowance funds to cover financial shortfalls since 2013.
In August 2015, with big-jackpot game sales lagging, the lottery rolled out a new series of “Fast Play” games with instant results designed to attract new players. But the launch caused a blackout that prevented nearly half the state’s retailers from printing regular draw games, such as Pick-3 and Powerball.
Carole Hedinger, executive director of the New Jersey Lottery Commission, said in June that the lottery isn’t likely to have “bragging rights” among states for sales. “But we will have some of the best revenue results that lotteries can have,” she said.
The “Fast Play” games have not proven to be the lure the lottery had anticipated. Sales dropped 44 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to lottery data.
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Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), https://www.northjersey.com
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