Award of lottery contract to GTECH a snub to minority communities

As many of you know, I have been a very vocal advocate who perseveres and consistently supports minority business participation wherever the opportunity presents itself. Currently, the State of Wisconsin is considering a major issue—the Wisconsin Lottery contract that was issued on August 18^th, 2014 (Agency Bid Number: 28143-SR, Bid Title: Lottery Gaming System, Instant Scratch Tickets, Warehousing, Distribution and Telemarketing Services for the Wisconsin Lottery).

The company that has held this contract is GTECH, and unfortunately GTECH has never met the state’s five percent minority participation goal. In fact, when approached by minority firms, GTECH has offered no reply.

If the state is not going to enforce the five percent goal, how can our community begin to make strides in the name of long-term economic growth? The City of Milwaukee’s minority business community feels excited and ready to contribute to the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue if given the opportunity. Given the fact that the minority population in the City of Milwaukee contributes significantly to the lottery’s revenue stream, why then are we not allowed the opportunity to become facilitators on the distribution side? Or would the state prefer minorities who are simply consumers?

Unfortunately, the State of Wisconsin has proceeded with a letter of intent (attached) in awarding this multimillion-dollar contract to GTECH once again! I ask the City of Milwaukee’s state delegation to join me in representing our city and help give our community a fighting chance to be more than just consumers. It should not be that the city’s minority community is relegated to the role of lottery ticket consumers. We should insist on being a part of the long-term economic plan that the State of Wisconsin will feel proud to support with contractual opportunities.

We need our State of Wisconsin representatives’ voices.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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