With the state facing a billion-dollar deficit this year, lawmakers are looking at any and all sources for revenue, including the lottery.
Legislators are holding a hearing in Hartford Tuesday on a new bigger jackpot being added to the list of Connecticut Lottery games.
State Sen. Thomas Colapietro of Bristol, who came up with the idea, calls it "the deficit reduction lotto". Colapietro says people are more likely to buy tickets for bigger jackpots, and the more lottery ticket sales, the more money the state collects.
The Connecticut Lottery generated $283 million for the state last year, and other states, such as California, have seen ticket sales surge as jackpots were increased.
Right now, it's unclear how big the jackpots would be, or how often the games would be played.
The Connecticut Lottery Corp. says it is not involved in the jackpot talks, but will be listening to what happens at Tuesday's hearing.
