Some state residents will accuse Democratic lawmakers of playing politics in their criticism of Gov. Tom Corbett’s move toward privatizing the Pennsylvania Lottery.

Those people are correct. Politics is in play.

But Democrats make a good point: As elected lawmakers, representatives of the people, they have the right to know the details of the possible outsourcing of the lottery’s management.

The Corbett administration is working toward having Britain-based Camelot Global Services — the same company that operates the national lottery in the United Kingdom — take over Keystone State lottery management.

Changing the Pennsylvania Lottery’s management doesn’t need legislative approval, but that should not be construed as a green light to keeping lawmakers — Democrats or Republicans — in the dark over the provisions of the proposed contract with Camelot Global.

Corbett should rethink his stance about keeping some information under wraps even though it’s unlikely that the governor would knowingly enter into a deal that would be detrimental to Pennsylvania’s best interests.

More lawmaker and public scrutiny of what is being proposed would not be bad. It’s lawmakers’ responsibility as representatives of the people to know.

Camelot Global is promising the state $34 billion in profits over the next 20 years; almost $1.1 billion of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s $3.5 billion in sales during the past fiscal year was profit.

Lottery profits benefit senior citizen programs, saving some money in the state budget.

But it’s often said that “the devil’s in the details,” and that’s also true when it comes to the outsourcing of lottery management. Such a large deal should not be consummated outside the oversight of lawmakers and the public.

Certainly, politics lies amid statements from House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, who said that “this whole thing stinks,” and Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, who cautioned against behind-closed-doors decisions by a limited number of people without public input.

However, their stance in favor of openness isn’t wrong, and Corbett should know better than to embrace his current stance. Because it’s the public that plunks down money for lottery tickets, the public has a right to know details of the proposed deal.

Camelot Global’s bid — the only bid on the table — expires Dec. 31. Two other companies Corbett has refused to identify have dropped out from contention for the contract.

Administration officials have insisted that their secrecy is necessary to protect the integrity of the bidding process. That’s debatable, with only one bid on the table.

Some other states, including New Jersey and Indiana, either are considering privatizing their lotteries or already have taken steps in that direction.

Illinois was the first state to act. In its first year under the new arrangement, the Illinois lottery’s revenue improved by about $100 million, but the numbers also were $100 milion short of initial projections.

Openness about the proposed contract can’t guarantee the best results for Pennsylvania, but Corbett is wrong in thinking that shutting out lawmakers and the public guarantees better results.

For a deal of such size, transparency is the best option. Corbett is wrong in thinking otherwise.