ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s lottery director is defending the agency’s recommendation to choose the most expensive of three contract proposals for a new lottery central system.

In an internal email to lottery staff last week, he wrote that the “technical” criteria of the $262 million contract over eight years “is vastly more important” than the cost differences, when compared to overall lottery sales.

Gordon Medenica was responding to news reports last week about two companies that are protesting the lottery’s decision to recommend Scientific Games International Inc., of Las Vegas, for the contract.

The lottery declined to comment publicly last week when asked by the Associated Press about a protest filed by London-based IGT Global Solutions Corp., saying it could not comment on an open procurement process.