The Massachusetts Office of State Auditor (OSA) released an audit showing improvements in oversight of lottery sales and game integrity at the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission (MSLC), television news station WWLP reported. The audit, which studied April 2019 through March 2020, found deficiencies in criminal background record checks for lottery sales agents, reconciliation reports for terminated sales representatives, and the process to restrict family members of lottery employees from claiming winning tickets.
The OSA had previously reported similar issues in 2014 related to irregular criminal background checks, incomplete settlement reports, and actions taken by former lottery sales representatives.
“Although deficiencies still remain, today’s report makes clear the Lottery has made significant progress since our last audit and has taken our most recent recommendations seriously,” State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump said. “Right now, as our state recovers from COVID-19, the Lottery’s support for our cities and towns is vital. Moving forward, it will be critical for the Lottery to continue to use and implement all the technological tools at its disposal to continue to modernize and enhance financial security and game integrity.”
The full OSA audit can be found here. 