Calcutta: The Bengal government will soon make tickets of state-run lotteries available on the Internet in an attempt to generate more revenue by increasing the clientele.

"Tickets of West Bengal state lottery will soon be available on the Internet. We won't run online lotteries but tickets of existing draws will be available on the Internet. This will help generate more revenue," said a senior Nabanna official.

While the decks being cleared for the online sale of tickets, some in the ruling establishment wonder whether the move is right, as it will, willy-nilly, end up promotion of lotteries.

Sources said the online lottery sale was part of the finance department's initiative to generate more revenues as the cash-strapped Trinamul government was finding it difficult to find resources for various "welfare schemes".

At present, the state earns around Rs 35 crore annually through lotteries. Some in the finance department think there is an opportunity of generating much more from the sector. "A state like Kerala generates about Rs 4,000 crore annually from lotteries. If we can make lotteries attractive in Bengal, we can earn around Rs 2,000 crore a year," said a senior official.

The directorate of state lotteries, which functions under the finance department, has already taken a few initiatives such as running daily lotteries instead of weekly lotteries.