Starting in early January, players will be able to put down their debit cards to take their chances on scratch tickets, Mega Millions jackpots and other lottery games. The State Treasurer, Steven Grossman, says plans on allowing lottery products to be bought with debit cards, along with other 33 other states accept debit card to buy lottery tickets. US lottery

“It’ll definitely boost sales,” said John George, manager of N-B Mini Mart on Brock Avenue in New Bedford. “You’ll have another way to pay.”

Jon Carlisle, spokesman for the state treasurer, said, “Since debit cards are essentially cash; this change can be seen as an effort to make lottery transactions easier for our customer base.”

Carlisle stressed that, for now, the change will not include credit cards and welfare cards. National lottery

Grossman told reporters that this change will make the purchase of tickets only more convenient for lottery customers, and he added that the allowance of debit cards would likely boost sales, especially at stores where there are no ATMs.

“I think it could have a modest, positive impact on sales,” Grossman said after chairing a meeting of the state Lottery Commission Tuesday.

“This is all about customer service. If you make your customer service absolutely as good as it can be, it’s bound to have a positive impact on sales.”

Grossman also said that agents will be trained to make sure that no lottery tickets are sold with credit cards or welfare cards.

A clerk at a BP gas station convenience store acknowledged that “every now and then,” somebody comes and tries to pay for the lottery ticket with a debit card and, until now, they were to be told that they need to pay it in cash or else they cannot purchase the lottery tickets.

A woman working behind the counter at Quick Mart on Brock Avenue said she had “no idea,” what the change would mean for lottery sales.

“I guess we’ll see what happens,” she said.

Councilor David Alves, who is chairman of the council’s gaming and casino subcommittee, said the move “shows the state is committed to gaming. They’re going to tap into whatever avenue or arena they can.”

Les Bernal, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Stop Predatory Gambling, had a different reaction.

“Our reaction is that the lottery is deliberately trying to get citizens in the New Bedford area who are existing customers to lose even more money,” he said.

Bernal referred to lottery as a “failed government program.”

“Why is state government working to push people further into debt in these severe economic times?” he asked.

The Massachusetts Lottery generates more than $4 billion in sales each year and pays roughly $900 million a year in profits for local aid to cities and towns.

Whether this option brings more people into playing, or playing more often, it is still too early to know. Guess we will have to wait to find out if the state was right.