Thousands of Michigan online lottery players were locked out of their accounts after they were asked to change their passwords this week.
According to The Detroit News, up to 9,000 players already have been impacted by the glitch. More could be locked out when they attempt to make the change.
Jake Harris, a spokesman for the Michigan Lottery, told the newspaper that about 47,000 of the state’s more than 1 million online players were asked to reset their passwords as part of a site update.
Lottery online update didn’t go ‘smoothly’
Of the nearly 50,000, about 8,100 were able to change their password, according to the newspaper, and 9,000 started but haven’t completed the process. Thousands of online players still had not yet attempted to change their passwords.
In addition, the mishap is also tying up the Michigan Lottery phone system with those impacted.
“Unfortunately, the reset process did not go as smoothly as we’d hoped for our players,” the Michigan Lottery said in a statement. “We understand the inconvenience these issues caused for our players, and for that, we sincerely apologize.”
The state does not believe the issue is the product of a cyber attack, the News reported. Pre-update testing revealed no mishaps, Harris said.
What to do if your online lottery account has failed
If you have been unable to reset your password, the Michigan Lottery recommends the following steps:
- “Some email providers are delaying the reset email, so please check your inbox to confirm you have not received it.”
- “Check your spam or junk folder for the password reset email.”
- “If you requested a new password but have not received a reset email, do not click the “Forgot Password” link again. Send an email to [email protected] and our tech team will resend the reset email. Please allow up to 72 hours for the email to be delivered. Once you receive the email, follow the instructions to reset your password.”
Michigan Lottery relying increasingly on online games
In its most recent financial report, the Michigan Lottery reported nearly $3.9 billion in total sales, with online lottery sales of more than $116 million.
That’s up 24.1% from $93.7 million the previous year. Sales were $77.9 million the year before that.
This is all pre-pandemic growth. During the state shutdown in the spring, which continues this summer, many lottery retailers suspended sales.
Even with the launch of online casinos coming later this year to Michigan, online lottery has typically outpaced iGaming so far.
However, Michigan could present an opportunity for online casinos to level the playing field.
