Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 1, 1993 TAG: 9303010079
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
TENN. RULING COULD HURT LOTTERY
Sales of Virginia Lottery tickets could fall by as much as 3 percent if Tennessee residents obey a ruling prohibiting them from importing lottery tickets, according to state Lottery Board officials."Many of the retailers that are on the [Virginia-Tennessee] border are in the top 10 as far as sales," Lottery Board spokeswoman Paula Otto said.
She estimated 2 percent to 3 percent of ticket sales come from Tennessee residents.
But many Tennessee residents said they don't plan on complying with a new opinion by their state's attorney general that says bringing in Virginia lottery tickets is illegal.
"I'm going to keep buying unless they meet me at the door and take me to jail," said Robert Huffman, a Bristol, Tenn., resident. "I play every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'm not worried about it."
Kenyetta Fields of Greeneville, Tenn., said he buys tickets for friends in Tennessee when he is in Virginia.
"I think it's impossible to enforce that law," he said. "There's a lot of people in Tennessee that like to play the numbers and hope they'll win the jackpot. There's a lot of people that play in towns that are on the border, and I think it'll hurt them if it's illegal."
Law enforcement officials acknowledge the interpretation will be difficult to enforce.
"Unless we have a very reliable source that someone has lottery tickets in their possession, we wouldn't be able to justify stopping someone," said Bristol, Tenn., Police Chief Eddie Wampler.
Tennessee Attorney General Charles Burson defined lottery tickets as gambling devices and ruled it is illegal for Tennesseans to bring Virginia Lottery tickets into the state.
Possession of tickets is a misdemeanor and can carry a $500 fine.
Tennessee does not have a lottery.