Mississippi hires experienced executive for its new lottery

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi Lottery Corporation is hiring an experienced executive as its first president.

The corporation board said Wednesday that Thomas N. Shaheen is its unanimous choice for the job. He begins June 1.

Shaheen was among about 20 applicants and was one of three finalists interviewed. He has most recently worked as vice president of a lottery technology company.

He previously worked as director the North Carolina Education Lottery and chief executive officer of the New Mexico Lottery. He also worked for lotteries in Georgia, Texas and Florida.

Shaheen will move from Arizona to Mississippi for the job with a base salary of $225,000 a year.

He says Mississippi could start selling lottery tickets by the end of this year.

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