The State Lottery Commission’s decision whether to hire a private company to manage the lottery will wait another week. A decision had been expected at the commission’s meeting Wednesday.
The Lottery Commission began exploring the possibility of hiring a private company to manage the lottery in May. Two firms Scientific Games International and GTECH submitted proposals last month.
The commission chose to delay a vote on the proposals until next week as it learns more about the business plans submitted by the two companies.
Lottery Commission Executive Director Karl Browning gave commissioners a detailed presentation on the process up to now and he stressed that the commission can choose not to hire either company.
"We do not have to do a bad deal," Browning said. "We have to do a good deal and a good deal can be defined as doing it ourselves."
Browning said it’s difficult for Indiana to improve its lottery performance without using an outside company.
“The kinds of things that one has to do require a continuity of management. In any state government agency, this one is not excluded, you can’t provide that," said Browning. "We’re guaranteed to turnover with an administration change."