How to Become a Lottery Retailer in Florida

Learn how to become licensed as a lottery retailer, and speak with an Single Source Insurance agent today about purchasing the lottery bond you�ll need.

How Can I Get Licensed as a Lottery Retailer?

If you want to gain the financial benefits of selling lottery products in Florida, you�ll need to obtain a lottery retailer license from the Florida Lottery Commission. Learn more about the role of lottery brokers and why lottery bonds are required.

What Are the Steps in the Licensing Process?

The Florida Lottery provides assistance to business owners applying for a lottery retailer license by assigning a Florida Lottery Sales Representative to work with each applicant. Contact the nearest Lottery District Office to set the process in motion. The Sales Rep will work with you to complete an application and gather the necessary supporting documents. They will also submit everything on your behalf.

Once your application package has been submitted, a lottery representative will come out to inspect your premises for compliance with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). By signing the application, you authorize the Florida Lottery to conduct a criminal records check and a credit history check. The Lottery Commission may require you to furnish a lottery bond if you fall short of their financial responsibility standards.

Why Is a Florida Lottery Bond Required?

When a surety bond is required, it�s to provide financial protection for the Florida Lottery (the bond�s �obligee�) and the public against financial harm resulting from the unlawful or unethical actions of the lottery retailer (the bond�s �principal�).� This protection involves two components: (1) the principal�s guarantee to do lottery business in accordance with all state laws and Lottery Commission regulations, and (2) the principal�s legal obligation to pay any valid claims for damages.

How Do Florida Lottery Bonds Work?

There is a third party to the legally binding lottery bond contract: the �surety� acting as the bond�s guarantor. The surety investigates every claim against the bond to make sure that it is legitimate, and if it is, will go ahead and pay it on behalf of the principal. Having guaranteed the principal�s payment of valid claims, the surety will pay a valid claim, but only to ensure swift resolution. The legal obligation to pay still belongs to the principal, who must therefore reimburse the surety. Not repaying the surety can lead to the surety taking legal action against the principal to recover the claim amount.

How Much Does a Lottery Bond Cost?

When a lottery bond is required, the obligee establishes the required bond amount. The surety sets the premium rate. Multiplying those two figures determines the annual premium cost of the bond.

The surety arrives at an appropriate premium rate through an underwriting assessment of the risk of the premium not reimbursing the surety for claims paid on the principal�s behalf. The primary measure of that risk is the principal�s personal credit score. The higher the credit score, the lower the risk, and the lower the premium rate. A principal with a lower credit score will pay a higher premium rate due to the greater risk to the surety.

Our surety bond professionals will get you the Florida lottery bond you need at a competitive rate.

How to Become a Lottery Retailer in Georgia

Learn how to become licensed as a lottery retailer, and speak with an Single Source Insurance agent today about purchasing the lottery bond you�ll need.

How Can I Get Licensed as a Lottery Retailer?

The additional income streams gained by becoming a Georgia Lottery retailer are well worth the time and effort it takes to obtain a lottery retailer license. The process begins with a phone call to the closest Georgia Lottery Corporation (GLC) District Sales Office. They’ll provide advice on how to meet the licensing requirements, and will serve as your liaison with GLC. Learn more about the role of lottery brokers and why lottery bonds are required.

What Are the Steps in the Licensing Process?

Once you have filled out the Georgia lottery retailer license application in its entirety and have all of the required supporting documents, submit them to the GLC District Sales Office. Your signature on the application authorizes GLC to conduct background checks into any criminal records and your credit history, and to determine whether you owe any taxes to the federal, state, or local tax authorities.

A key goal of GLC in conducting this investigation is to make sure you meet the financial responsibility standards for a Georgia lottery retailer. Some applicants will only be approved for a lottery retailer license if they provide a Financial Security Deposit (FSD) in the form of a surety bond, cash escrow, or letter of credit. GLC will notify you if you are subject to the FD requirement and will tell you the required bond amount. Most people in this situation choose to purchase a lottery bond.

Why Is a Georgia Lottery Bond Required?

GLC (the bond�s �obligee�) imposes the FSD requirement when a prospective lottery retailer (the bond�s �principal�) is believed to present a higher than usual financial risk. The purpose of the bond is to protect GLC and the public against financial losses stemming from the principal�s failure to comply with all applicable state laws and GLC regulations. Any such losses give the injured party the right to file a claim against the principal�s Georgia lottery bond.

How Do Georgia Lottery Bonds Work?

The third party to a Georgia lottery bond is the bond�s guarantor (known as the �surety�). The surety investigates each claim and determines whether it is valid. If it is, the principal is legally obligated to pay it. In practice, however, because the surety has guaranteed the payment of claims, the surety will pay the claim and then be reimbursed by the principal. The surety can take legal action against a principal who fails to repay that debt.

How Much Does a Lottery Bond Cost?

The annual premium for a Georgia lottery bond is the result of multiplying the required bond amount established by the obligee by the premium rate set by the surety. That premium rate will reflect the underwriters� assessment of the risk that the principal will fail to reimburse the surety for claims paid on the principal�s behalf.

The biggest factor in that assessment is the principal�s personal credit score. A high credit score indicates a low risk level and vice versa. A high credit score results in the lowest premium rate; someone with a low credit score will pay more because of the greater risk to the surety.

Our surety bond professionals will get you the Georgia lottery bond you need at a competitive rate.