Lottery Could Pay Higher Scholarships Even If Sales Dropped by Millions?

Arkansas Lottery

An old myth keeps resurfacing about the Arkansas Lottery: The idea that by not allocating a large percentage of its revenue for scholarships each year, the Arkansas Lottery is somehow more profitable and able to “generate” more scholarship money in the long-run.

Currently, about 19% – 20% of the Lottery’s revenue goes to scholarship. Lottery proponents say if the Arkansas Lottery were required to allocate 30% of its gross revenue for scholarships (like many state lotteries), it would have less money to spend on promotional activity and prizes, which drive lottery ticket sales. By letting the Arkansas Lottery allocate a smaller percentage of revenue for sales, the Lottery is able to spend more money on prizes, which leads to more lottery ticket sales and–ultimately–more college scholarships.

To put it bluntly, this idea is complete nonsense. To prove it, let’s do the math.

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Will the Arkansas Lottery Reduce Its Scholarship Budget Next Week?

Arkansas Lottery

Yesterday the Arkansas Lottery released its financial report for the month of January. The report shows lottery ticket sales and net proceeds for college scholarships are still lagging.

In December, we wrote how at the rate things are going, the Arkansas Lottery stands to come in about $8 million short of its scholarship goal for 2014. According to the Lottery Commission’s budget, the Arkansas Lottery needs to allocate about $7.4 million per month, on average, to meet its goal of $89.5 million in scholarship money for the year. So far, however, these monthly reports show the Arkansas Lottery has allocated more like $6.4 – $6.8 million for scholarships each month.

That’s a shortfall of nearly $1 million every month.

Lottery Director Bishop Woosley recently hinted if lottery ticket sales did not improve soon, the Arkansas Lottery Commission might have to reevaluate its scholarship budget for the year. According to its website, Lottery Commissioners are scheduled to meet next week.

In light of this latest report revealing the Arkansas Lottery’s situation has not improved, one has to wonder if adjusting the scholarship budget will be a topic at next week’s meeting.

See the Arkansas Lottery’s financial report for the month of January here.

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AR Woman Chooses Life After Seeing Billboard

Abortion, ,

An Arkansas billboard with a pro-life message has been making headlines the past week.

The group Every20seconds.org has placed a billboard along Interstate 30 in North Little Rock. The billboard reads, “When 1% of the church shows up, abortion in AR shuts down.”

At least one pregnant woman has chosen not to abort her child after seeing the billboard and meeting pro-life advocates. KARK 4 News has her story:

“I felt like it wasn’t the right time for a baby, so my first instinct was to get an abortion,” she said.

After meeting folks from 20seconds.org, she changed her mind.

“I have been so blessed, the Lord has been on my side this entire pregnancy, and I’m glad that I made the decision that I made,” she said.

Now when she passes the billboard, she said she will have a unique reaction.

“I am part of that 1 percent, and when I pass that billboard, and when I see it, I say, ‘Thank you Jesus,'” she said.

 

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