Tom Shaheen Quotations

We're going to move forward until we're told differently.

We want to see first how the lottery is received. Based on all of the polls, we're making the assumption that it's going to be very highly received. But a poll is a poll, and until we actually see what happens when tickets go on sale, we'll have a better idea by then.

There are many different pieces of this giant puzzle that need to come together. The pieces that must come together include installation of ticket terminals, training retailers, testing software applications and so much more. There are many people working very hard behind the scenes in such areas as administration, finance, sales and computers to help raise money for education and make this historical event happen. In addition, numerous state agencies are providing assistance to us, as necessary.

We're just going to keep moving forward. We're not going to do anything differently.

I don't concern myself with the things that are swirling around. My concern is to get this lottery started up with integrity with a quality organization. And both of those companies ... have a proven track history.

If it's issued, we have to stop. That's the law. We can't do anything.

When they see that, they know exactly what it is without having to read it.

I wouldn't say it's scientifically an absolute, but I believe it personally from my experience in the lottery.

I would venture to say we are one of the top startups in the U.S. as far as total sales.

I think it's tough to measure a lottery on the first stroke of a brush.

Overall we are very pleased with the way everything came together on launch day.

Our staff has been working very late trying to identify any possible situation.

On the TV ads, we really want to hit home and focus on the educational benefit that will happen over time. On the radio ads, they'll focus on the games and how to play.

You let the consumer decide whether to buy a ticket or not. You tell them it's $300 million. You let the consumer decide whether to buy it or not.

We received and negotiated the lowest prices and best offering of any other recent lottery in any state.

We're not going to induce people to play. We're not going to promise financial gain by playing the lottery.

We conducted an evaluation that was fair, comprehensive, had the greatest integrity and achieved the best results.

We've got a lot of tired people around here. People have been working all kinds of hours.

We got a five-day early start. That means $25 million in sales that you never would have had without an early start.

We got the best price of any state.

Early indications are that retailers are receiving tickets, and everything is working.

The stacks of mail are piling in by the moment. It's great to see that those interested in being able to sell lottery tickets range from national chain retail stores and gas stations to individually owned general stores at every corner of the state.

This is probably the smoothest startup I've ever been a part of.

This is probably the smoothest startup I have been involved with. This earns all the employees their startup bonus.

A billion one-fifty (in sales) is certainly a challenge. The reason I'm not too nervous is you have such a large population, and a large population for a lottery means you have a lot more occasional players than most states do.

It's probably slowed us down a little bit, but we're on track.

That kind of lets the public know that yes, there are winners of the game, for anybody who may be skeptical.

These two instant scratch-off games will be in addition to the four already available to players. We are very pleased with the sales we have had so far and we are extremely excited about the funds generated for education in North Carolina.

Once in a while one of them does very well, but for the most part you need foot traffic in your business. If you're the type of business that's going to draw, oh, say 100 people a day, chances are you're not going to keep up.

I'm confident that all we have left now is to throw the switch.

If we've got to stop, then we have no commercials. If we turn back, we've just wasted your money.

In order to start a lottery, you need to get everything done as soon as possible. It certainly hinders your advertising campaign if you don't have that (logo) out there.

All of the pieces of the puzzle have to come together. We have to focus on that and nothing else. Whatever happens, happens. That's life.

The logo is symbolic of the state of North Carolina. If somebody's standing 50 to 100 feet away and they see it, they know that lottery tickets are probably on sale in that store.