Connecticut residents are not yet that close, as a mouse click away, from their favorite draw or scratch games over the Internet. The reason is that, even when the federal government recently cleared the way for online sale of lottery tickets, there are several issues to address before

“These are not easy policy questions,” said Anne Noble, president of the Connecticut Lottery. “We don’t have any immediate plan to roll it out over the next 30 to 90 days.”

As of right now, the lottery’s online presence is only an informational website and some digital ads. But the vice chairman of the lottery board, Gale Mattison, says he hopes many of the issues can be worked out in the upcoming legislative session. Lottery results

“It’s going to be a huge issue,” Mattison said. “I know both New York and Massachusetts have done a lot more thinking and are a lot further along than we are. We’re going to be surrounded with it. And it’s a serious discussion of revenue.”

So now that the DOJ’s announcement will have wide-ranging ramifications, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has made it clear his administration is exploring those broader opportunities. National lottery

Noble said that despite the DOJ ruling, Connecticut lawmakers will have to vote to allow more online activity, and the Department of Consumer Protection will need to craft related regulations.

On top of it, besides offering draw games like Powerball, MegaMillions and Classic Lotto online to residents, it is possible also sell mail-order scratch games online or even establish “virtual scratch games.” “But in the short term, most (state lotteries) are talking selling Powerball or MegaMillions,” she said.

Noble said part of the challenge is to figure out the impact on the lottery stores, large and small, which sell lottery games and earn 5 percent of those revenues. She said they are the operations’ “heartbeat.”

“I know it’s a bigger profit center for the smaller convenience stores versus full-service grocery stores,” said Stan Sorkin, president of the Connecticut Food Association.

Sorkin said stores also benefit when players picking up their games do some “impulse shopping” for other goods.

The Connecticut Lottery will also face challenges from gambling critics.

“We’re concerned about minors and problem gamblers who don’t have to walk to buy lottery tickets,” said Marvin Steinberg, head of the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.

Another question is how the Internet could help discouraging abuse. Currently, customers must be at least 18 to purchase a lottery product and it can only be paid with cash or debit cards, not credit cards.

“The Connecticut lottery markets its products as fun and entertainment, and we encourage people to use discretionary income. The use of cash is consistent with using discretion,” Noble said.

She said the goal is to apply that same philosophy to Internet gaming.

“There are abilities to limit the gaming done (online),” Noble said, as they will also look at age-verification technology.

For now, it will be up to the decision makers of the state to figure out whether what other states consider to be good for them could ever be applied to Connecticut too.