The Michigan Lottery is still up and running, despite a statewide ban on non-essential shopping. That fact has created some questions for both retailers and their customers, as enforcing the six-foot social distancing rule is complicated in small party stores. Dave Minock, owner of the Spirits Shoppe, in Port Huron, told us that he voluntarily shut down his lottery sales two weeks ago to eliminate unnecessary traffic. When asked if it has decreased business, Minock said it has possibly helped, as people feel more comfortable shopping for essentials without the extra traffic from lottery players. The Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA) issued a bulletin stating that the lottery hasn’t been shut down in any state, and that they were able to negotiate the option for independent stores to unplug their machines if they wanted. MIRA fears that if retail lottery sales were completely stopped, they might never come back, as everything would go online.