Jonetta Rose Barras: Lottery scratch off in D.C.

It’s not unusual to hear grousing from companies losing out on a bid. But in the case of the District’s lottery contract, it’s not just sour grapes. Testimony during a council hearing last week raised serious questions about the fairness of the competition, including the ratings the bidders received and the price negotiations.

The D.C. Council must decide by Tuesday whether to acknowledge that mistakes were made during the procurement, but still approve the contract to Intralot, a Greek-based company; or tell the chief financial officer to do the solicitation for the third time; or take no action and allow the time to lapse on the award resolution, effectively killing it.