By Bob Katzen

This bill would require the Lottery to create a second chance Lottery game involving all paper lottery tickets and cardboard scratch tickets that do not contain winning numbers.

Supporters said this second chance game would encourage the return and recycling of millions of losing lottery tickets that otherwise are carelessly tossed out in stores and on the streets and contribute to the litter problem.

“While there is currently an anti-lottery littering regulation in place, it does not go far enough to ensure lottery tickets and scratch tickets are redeemed and recycled,” said State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). “These tickets are constantly being found on the side of the road, in our parks and in our oceans. We can do better. Massachusetts had a very successful second-chance lottery game, the Clean Fund Sweepstakes, from 2001 to 2007 and it is time we revisited the concept to help keep our public spaces clean.”