The Illinois online lottery proposal is novel to the US market, as no other US state sells lottery tickets directly on the internet. While some other states offer an online lottery subscription, which permits players to purchase certain numbers which are then automatically played on specific dates, this still differs from the Illinois proposal as players are not directly purchasing actual lottery tickets. The Illinois proposal cannot go into effect until the US Department of Justice (DoJ) weighs in on whether it complies with the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Under the proposal, Illinois would be allowed to offer online tickets to Illinois residents, as well as non-residents. The Illinois Lottery would contract with a private operator to conduct the online sales for a trial period lasting between three and four years, and beginning no later than January 1, 2010. Observers have widely speculated that the Illinois scheme would be emulated by other states, should the DoJ extend its approval.