A very bad smell !

The sale of this state's lotteries was not a level playing field for those bidding for the forty year contract.Only one of the contenders was told that the successful party would include the right to retain unclaimed prizes. The others were told that these would be retained by the government.It is estimated that unclaimed prizes amount to about two hundred million dollars over forty years, and obviously this must have had a huge impact on the winning bid.Once again a commercial transaction by this state government ends with a very bad smell hanging over the result !Many people question the wisdom of selling off the state's " Crown Jewels " , but if it has to be done then there is the expectation that the best possible price will be obtained for this public asset.Had this information on unclaimed prizes been made available to all the tendering parties - it is possible that an even higher bid may have eventuated.At the very least, this calls for a thorough ICAC investigation !