Phone Cards Bring Lotto Confusion

This might have been a nice concept to sell 2-min phone cards that could win your prizes. But why would you want a 2-min phone card? You most be wanting the real prize of a lotto phone card. I'd say to stick to the state lotto and help the schools then to fall for any phone card prizes and lotto calling cards.

Phone Cards Bring Lotto Confusion

By Gerrick Brenner
(05/05/06 -- RALEIGH) - A lottery game is stirring up plenty of confusion around the Triangle.

Some people are buying the tickets, thinking they are tied to the new state lottery, but they later find out that is not the case.

The phone cards are not fakes, and you can win thousands of dollars with them. They were in North Carolina stores long before the state lottery started.

But there is a bitter rivalry between the lotto phone cards and the state lottery. For a second time, they are heading to court.

Each lotto phone card is worth two minutes of telephone time, and there is a contest incentive. People can buy them and win cash -- sometimes thousands of dollars. But the proceeds do not go to North Carolina schools.

Officials tried to run the phone cards out of North Carolina two years ago, but the maker of the cards, Treasure Arts of South Carolina, sued and won. The loophole: The cards are free, if you mail a request.

The maker of the Free Money lotto cards says the state is cheating, telling stores that his cards are illegal when they are not. The owner of the company, who identified himself as William, says the lottery "got me down to $700 profit. I'm a little phone card company, and they just about put me out of business."

A Wake County judge ruled about two years ago that the phone cards were legal. One phone card company sued the state Friday, saying lottery sales staff and the lottery's Web site are telling convenience stores falsely that phone cards are illegal.

Source:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section-local&id=4147025