Keller: The Lottery's warning lights

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The Massachusetts Lottery – unofficial slogan: “Ripping off Bay Staters since 1972” – is a mystery wrapped in a conundrum served with extra enigma sauce.

However exploitative of gambling addicts, it is voluntary taxation that generates badly-needed revenue for cities and towns at a level that dwarfs the take from casinos and sports betting. Treasurer Deb Goldberg told legislators last month the Lottery is on pace for a sixth consecutive fiscal year of net profit greater than $1 billion. The imminent arrival of online Lottery games will add to the kitty.

But there are warning lights flashing on the Lottery dashboard.

Cannibalization by other gambling options remains a threat. Scratch ticket sales, a Lottery staple, were off by nearly six percent in November, down 2.2% year-to-year. The gross here from national games like Powerball and Mega Millions was down by $159 million until a couple of mammoth recent jackpots goosed sales. "Lotteries across the country are facing increasing unpredictability of multi-state game sales driven by large jackpots," said Goldberg.

As long as folks feel the need for companionship, booze and easy access to Devil Dogs, Keno in bars and parlors will likely continue to rake in the dough. But the state will need to get more creative about extracting their hard-earned dollars as time goes by and sports betting continues to expand.

So here are some ideas for new Lottery games, offered free of charge and any sense of social ethics. As the Lottery likes to say in its Numbers Games ads: “Everybody has a number, play yours!”

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East Boston’s Gabriela Coletta Zapata pulled back from running for the city council presidency less than 24 hours before the expected vote of her colleagues and months after she said she had enough support for the job.

The abrupt about-face came the night before the 13-member body was set to convene for the first time in 2026 and elect the president. Chatter crescendoed Sunday as sources said several councilors swung their support to Dorchester’s Brian Worrell ahead of the official tallying on Monday. The councilors who were viewed as in her camp and flipped include John FitzGerald, Enrique Pepen and Liz Breadon, the sources said.

“Upon further reflection, I have decided not to seek the nomination,” Zapata said in a text message Sunday night.

That leaves Worrell, who stayed in the running for the position even after Coletta Zapata’s declaration that she had the votes Nov. 10. Councilor Julia Mejia also declared her candidacy but has also said she promised to support Worrell if he gets at least six votes, according to the Dorchester Reporter.

Another candidate could still emerge, if last-minute jockeying continues just before the vote, as it has in the past. Pepen’s name was in circulation late Sunday night. 

​​Ruthzee Louijeune is unable to run for another term as president due to term limits. — Gintautas Dumcius

9:00 | The Supreme Judicial Court sits with four cases on the docket. | Adams Courthouse, Rm 1, Boston | More Info

10:00 | City of Boston hosts inauguration of Mayor Michelle Wu and city council members. Gov. Maura Healey is set to attend. | Symphony Hall 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston | Livestream

10:00 | City of Newburyport holds inauguration ceremony for Mayor Sean Reardon, members of the school committee and city council. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is scheduled to perform. | Newburyport City Hall 60 Pleasant St., Newburyport

10:00 | The City of Brockton holds the inauguration of new Mayor Moises Rodrigues. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll is set to attend. | Brockton City Hall, 45 School St, Brockton

10:00 | City of Marlborough hosts inauguration of Mayor J. Christian Dumais, city council and school committee members. | Charles W. Whitcomb School in War Memorial Auditorium, 25 Union St., Marlborough

6:00 | City of Everett hosts the inauguration of Robert Van Campen as the new mayor and the start of a new session for the City Council and School Committee. Gov. Maura Healey is scheduled to attend. | Everett High School Performing Arts Center, 100 Elm St., Everett

6:00 | City of Lynn holds inauguration ceremony for Mayor Jared Nicholson and members of the City Council, and School Committee. | Lynn Memorial Auditorium, Lynn

6:00 | City of Quincy holds inauguration ceremony for members of its city council. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is scheduled to give remarks. | Quincy City Hall 1305 Hancock St., Quincy

6:30 | City of Weymouth, which prefers to be called a town, holds inauguration for Mayor Michael Molisse. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll is set to attend. |  Weymouth Middle School, 1051 Commercial St, Weymouth

7:00 | The City of Chelsea hosts an inauguration. City Manager Fidel Maltez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley are set to attend. | City Hall, 500 Broadway, Chelsea

BOSTON HARBOR SHELLFISH: The clean-up of Boston Harbor, which has spanned decades, is leading to shellfish from areas along the coast to be declared fit for people to eat, according to state officials. Winthrop, Hingham and Hull must first draft local shellfish harvesting regulations. – Universal Hub

LAWMAKERS OF COLOR: Top Democrats on Beacon Hill drew electoral maps to aid the election of more candidates of color, but advocates say the Legislature still does not reflect the state’s diverse population. – Boston Globe

SOCCER STADIUM: Sports stadiums often get an influx of taxpayer money as team owners threaten and cajole local officials. But on the Boston-Everett border, the New England Revolution soccer stadium will have money flowing in the other direction, towards taxpayers. – Boston Business Journal

POT DROP: Cannabis prices in Massachusetts have plunged over the last four years. The average price of an eighth of an ounce of cannabis flower dropped to $14.20 last November from nearly $45 four years ago. – MassLive

KOH CASH: In the race to replace Rep. Seth Moulton as he runs against Sen. Ed Markey, former Biden aide Dan Koh says he’s raised more than $2 million since jumping in on Oct. 16. It’s the biggest haul for any Mass. House candidate, Koh adds. – Boston Globe

VENEZUELA ATTACK: Members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation condemned President Trump’s kidnapping of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. – GBH News

SUPERINTENDENT SKIPS: After the reveal of a mid-year $1.4 million budget deficit, Jeff Szymaniak resigned as Whitman-Hanson Regional School District’s superintendent. – Patriot Ledger

CUSTOMS AGENT: The case against a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, who posed as Plymouth’s town manager in order to file a traffic complaint, can go forward, a judge ruled. – Plymouth Independent 

ASKING QUESTIONS: The brother of a police officer is facing charges of negligent operation and leaving the scene of an accident. The charges come after NBC10 asked some questions, after a Chelmsford woman, who says her daughter was hit in the head by the side-view mirror, said she wasn’t getting any answers from the local police department. – NBC10 Boston

BROCKTON INAUGURATION: A judge has denied a request from Jean Bradley Derenoncourt, the second-place finisher in Brockton’s mayoral race, to stop winner Moises Rodrigues’ inauguration. – GBH News

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