COUNCIL BLUFFS — New equipment introduced Tuesday by the Iowa Lottery promises to make the system more efficient for both consumers and retailers.
Lottery officials expect to have the upgrades in place at retailers across the state by July, said Teri Wood, vice president of marketing.
The red lottery terminals used for the past decade are being replaced with new and smaller units.
And for the first time, lottery players will be able to check their own tickets at special bar code scanners on store counters, she said.
The self-checkers mean customers who want to check their tickets won’t have to wait for a clerk to do it — and cashiers who are busy with customers won’t have to spend quite as much time checking tickets.
For now, the scanners can only read tickets but they will be able to read scratch cards in July when the conversion is completed, Wood said.
So far, customers like the new setup, said Nicole Schneckloth, manager at U-Stop Convenience Shop, 1928 Sherwood Drive.
The Iowa Lottery’s statewide gambling system is upgraded about every 10 years, Wood said.
The changes will be completed in July, when the Iowa Lottery begins using a new computer system to sell and cash tickets at its 2,500 retailers statewide.
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