Maine Wants to Sell “Kwikies” – Retailers Find It Offensive

Mainers are not at all impressed with the state lottery’s idea of giving its scratch-off tickets a name that some believe has some sexual innuendo. In fact, when the Maine State Lottery recently announced to its retailers that it would soon be naming its tickets “Kwikies,” the consensus was that offending the public may not be the best way to increase sales.

That is because the “quickie” has become synonymous with the mid-afternoon roll-in-the-hay; one that is typically very brief and generally taken advantage of when time is of the essence, such as during a lunch break or an elevator ride.

Some local business owners say that the new name not only makes them uncomfortable but that some employees have also expressed some concerns and embarrassment over having to selling Kwikies to public.

However, Garry Reid, director of the Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations says that while some people may be upset by the new name of their scratch off ticket, the state is not purposely trying to be provocative or sexual in any way.

“I fully understand that when someone saw this word in isolation, they thought, ‘Oh, these guys are getting a bit racy,’” said Reid. “We’re actually doing everything we can possibly do to not lead you to that place in your mind.”

Reid says that the bureau had been trying to come up with a name for about six months, and played with about 50-60 others, before deciding that Kwikies was the best name to properly represent what an instant ticket actually is. “The benefit of buying this ticket is that it’s quick, easy and fun,” said Reid.

While business owners, clerks and customers complain that naming a lottery ticket a Kwikie is inappropriate; Reid says that people should consider all of the other ways the word “quickie” is used in the world of business. Even in the cartoon ‘The Simpsons’, the convenience store is called a Kwik-E-Mart.

Reid says that amidst the controversy surrounding the new name for the ticket, the bureau may ultimately choose not to use the name. “It’s not our decision to offend anybody. If we see that’s where it’s going, we won’t do it,” said Reid.