Category: Arkansas Lottery

Lottery Officials Cherry-Pick Their Numbers

In 2008, then-Lt. Governor Bill Halter promised Arkansans the Arkansas Lottery would “generate” at least $100 million in college scholarships every year.

A year later, then-Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue estimated it would be more like $116 million.

Both men completely dismissed one estimate at the time, however: The Department of Finance and Administration’s.

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Lottery Commission Gives Raises as Revenue, Scholarships Languish

A few weeks ago we told you about how the Arkansas Lottery’s “revenue” (i.e. lottery ticket sales) was down along with lottery scholarships. Last week, amid all the talk about DOMA and marriage, one news story got less attention than it deserved: The Arkansas Lottery is giving raises to 80 employees, including its director.

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AR Lottery: Revenue Down, Expenses Up, and Everything is Fine?

Earlier today Family Council staff member Ken Yang attended a meeting between lottery officials and lawmakers who are on the Lottery Oversight Committee. Below are highlights from the meeting.

• With two months remaining in the lottery’s fiscal year, the lottery is $5.9 million behind in projected revenue. In other words, sales are down.
• 2014 net proceeds (the money that goes for scholarships) are projected at $89.5 million–millions of dollars lower than previous years.
• The lottery has authorized “higher staff compensation” (i.e. “raises”) in its budget for fiscal year 2014.
• MegaMillions, one of two multi-state lotteries Arkansas participates in, is going to be overhauled. In the future players can expect even worse odds than ever before on the top prizes. Too many people are winning, and the company responsible for the game thinks making it harder to win the big jackpot will cause more people to buy tickets.

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