GTECH says competitor used bait and switch to win South Carolina bid

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - Lottery giant GTECH Corporation says a competitor used bait-and-switch tactics last fall to win bids to handle South Carolina&#39;s new numbers-based games, which are set to begin next month. <br> <br> Greenwich, Rhode Island-based GTECH has filed a petition with the South Carolina Procurement Review Panel, seeking an investigation of how Scientific Games of Alpharetta, Georgia, was awarded a contract to set up and run the number-picking games. <br> <br> GTECH spokesman Bob Vincent said Tuesday, ``There are major irregularities in the procurement of this online contract.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Vincent said the review, called for in a 25-page petition, isn&#39;t aimed at winning the work for GTECH. However, the company asks that the state repay at least $500,000 GTECH put into the bid and its lawyer&#39;s fees. <br> <br> Correspondence to Scientific Games shows that AT&T had reservations about putting telephone lines in place to handle the lottery system Scientific Games proposed. Despite that, Scientific Games told the panel handling lottery decisions that it would be able to start the games on February 20, two weeks before the numbers games were to begin. <br> <br> In a statement Tuesday, Scientific Games&#39; systems division president William Huntley said that the problems would actually result in South Carolina getting a better lottery system at no extra cost. He did not comment on GTECH&#39;s allegations. <br> <br> Lieutenant Governor Bob Peeler, a lottery opponent who is seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination, called for an investigation by the Education Lottery Oversight Committee created under the lottery law passed last year.