Wyoming lottery launch may hurt Idaho lottery sales

In just three weeks, the state of Wyoming will launch its first-ever lottery. But while Wyomingites rejoice, businesses on the Idaho side of the border worry what this will mean for their lottery sales.

Katie Courier, who’s been selling Idaho lottery tickets for three years at the Gateway Station in Victor, said her store thrives on ticket sales from Wyoming residents.

“Most of our customer base comes over from Jackson,” said Courier.

Kathy Hoffman routinely buys Idaho lottery tickets in Victor for her and her co-workers in Jackson.

“I’m a regular lottery player for my office,” said Hoffman.

But when the Wyoming Lottery launches on Aug. 24, Hoffman said some of her colleagues may opt to buy their own tickets in Wyoming.

“They live in Wyoming, so it would be easier for them to participate too,” said Hoffman.

The Idaho Lottery Commission, however, said it remains confident that western Wyomingites will continue to make the trip across the Teton Pass.

“Wyoming and what they’ll be offering is Powerball and Mega Millions. We offer four additional draw games plus 52 scratch games a year,” said David Workman, a spokesman for the Idaho Lottery Commission.

While this comes as good news for Courier who said scratch games make up a large part of her ticket sales, she said the launch of the Wyoming Lottery could still impact her business.

“We will definitely see a difference, just not sure about how big of a difference we will see,” said Courier.