Massachusetts State Lottery officials have announced that they will start testing a new Keno game that allows players to bet $1 on animated stock-car races. The Daily Race Game features roaring engines and spectacular crashes and is the first expansion of Keno since it was launched in 1993.

The game will first be tested at five facilities and there are plans to expand to 200 during the next eight weeks and eventually to 1,300 locations. According to financial studies, Race Car Keno will generate $36 million to $40 million per year when fully operational.

It seems that Sacramento County will not be able to approve the proposed new rules for electronic bingo machines any time soon. New questions, some of them from tribal casino operators, have been made about the scope of the anticipated government ordinance.

Indian tribes say they are in doubt about the legality of such machines and have requested officials to postpone any decision. “We would like to come up and talk with them and share our concern,” Anthony Miranda, Chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association said.

A recent survey has revealed that 74 percent of Scottish adults think that private clubs and bingo halls should be exempted from the smoking ban. The survey was carried out by Populus and showed that almost three quarters of Scotland’s population thinks such establishments should be allowed to offer a smoking room.

Participants also backed the setting up of smokers clubs specially thought for smokers. In response to the results, the FOREST Group, which is against the smoking ban in bingo clubs, has requested the Scottish Executive to lift the ban for such establishments.

One winner has won 2,75 (M) million-dollar jackpot in the Illinois State Lottery's latest Lotto drawing.

The winning ticket was sold at a store in Decatur. It was the only one to match all six winning numbers from last Wednesday's Lotto drawing.

The next Lotto drawing is scheduled for this Saturday night and will feature a jackpot of 2 (M) million dollars.

When the authorities of Wolverhampton Mecca Bingo announced the hall would close within weeks, its regulars decided to gather outside the Skinner Street building and protest in an attempt to save the popular club.

The more than 300 citizens publicly rejected a free bus service offered by the owners of the Rank Leisure Club, which takes players to the club in Bilston. “This is our club and we’re like a big family here,” Susan Smith, who is coordinating the efforts to stop the closure, said. “Many of us won’t be able to get to Bilston if our place closes. These coaches are a waste of time so we’re showing them what we think.”

Gov. Jennifer Granholm put forward a plan to expand legalized gambling by offering the popular Club Keno lottery to private clubs. This plan is expected to annually generate $15 million for public schools, according to a lottery spokesperson. The game, which was introduced three years ago, is now played in 2,000 bars and restaurants.

Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters said that the clubs had expressed an interest in this proposal. During 2006, the Keno game collected $105 million for the School Aid Fund and sold $424 million in tickets. “Sales are up about ten percent in comparison to year 2005,” Peters explained.

This week, a Senate fiscal panel approved the proposal introduced by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to privatize the state lottery. The project was supported by a group of educators and business leaders that backed up leasing the Hoosier Lottery in exchange for scholarships for Indiana’s children.

Republican Senator David Ford, R-Hartford City, joined the four Democrats on the committee to vote against the measure because he believes the money for education programs shouldn’t come from gambling losses. “I can't get over the irony of paying for college education at the expense of Hoosiers who really don't understand eighth-grade math,” he explained.

A man who lives in the small fishing village of Stuart’s Point became an instant millionaire when he won $1.76 million playing Keno 10 Spot at a local club. The winner, whose name was not revealed, is a 44-year-old local car detailer.

The lucky player said he has been playing Keno at the Stuart’s Point Workers Club at least once a week for the last fifteen years. "I come here with friends for happy hour and it really was happy hour," he commented.

Two men from Manitota were playing in a casino in a slot machine when they suddenly saw, on the screen, the perfect combination that gave them the accumulated jackpot that was worth 209,000 dollars.

However, the happiness didn’t last long, since the casino determined that the machine had been mistaken, that their highest prize could never be over $3,000. “It has been a mistake of the software”, the responsible of the casino explained.

The Lottery Commission says it will replace its million-dollar game with a new and simpler version of the game, that is cheaper to play and will be drawn more often. It also has tougher odds.

The new game, called Classic Lotto, will be drawn for the first time on January 22nd. Players will choose six numbers from 1 to 49. The jackpot starts at $1million and is guaranteed to increase by at least $100,000 if no one hits all 6 numbers.