Yesterday the Arkansas Lottery posted its financial figures for the month of February.
The Arkansas Lottery took in nearly $40.8 million in February, but paid out a paltry $4.5 million for scholarships–about 11% of its gross revenue for the month.
This is the same, old story we have seen month after month at the Arkansas Lottery: No matter what lottery ticket sales do, scholarship funding takes a backseat.
Even in January, when PowerBall sales went through the roof, college scholarships did not see even 24 cents of every dollar the Arkansas Lottery made.
Below is a breakdown of lottery figures since the start of Fiscal Year 2016 last July:
| Month | Gross Lottery Revenue | Paid to Scholarships | % Gross Revenue |
| July | $ 31,665,651.14 | $ 5,784,683.09 | 18.3% |
| August | 31,265,177.55 | 5,490,094.00 | 17.6% |
| September | 36,134,389.63 | 6,624,967.11 | 18.3% |
| October | 35,261,533.80 | 6,020,642.32 | 17.1% |
| November | 32,226,599.28 | 5,725,139.09 | 17.8% |
| December | 38,670,746.09 | 6,425,754.66 | 16.6% |
| January, 2016 | 58,746,249.00 | 13,831,359.75 | 23.5% |
| February | 40,790,144.05 | 4,474,356.06 | 11.0% |
| Total | $ 304,760,490.54 | $ 54,376,996.08 | 17.8% |
As you can see, the Arkansas Lottery has allocated less than 18% of its total revenue for scholarships this fiscal year. Based on these numbers, the Arkansas Lottery is on track to pay out somewhere around $80 – $85 million for scholarships in Fiscal Year 2016.
Below is a breakdown of Arkansas Lottery figures since July of 2014:
| Month | Gross Lottery Revenue | Paid to Scholarships | % Gross Revenue |
| July, 2014 | $ 30,925,067.43 | $ 5,928,447.99 | 19.2% |
| August | 31,571,412.10 | 5,296,965.80 | 16.8% |
| September | 30,710,493.31 | 4,317,227.10 | 14.1% |
| October | 32,959,739.29 | 5,939,625.59 | 18.0% |
| November | 30,617,278.28 | 5,577,035.16 | 18.2% |
| December | 34,507,731.54 | 5,474,318.77 | 15.9% |
| January, 2015 | 35,433,619.67 | 7,287,773.28 | 20.6% |
| February | 41,770,314.46 | 6,161,343.01 | 14.8% |
| March | 37,367,453.25 | 6,898,524.35 | 18.5% |
| April | 33,866,970.54 | 5,881,005.95 | 17.4% |
| May | 35,689,036.10 | 5,409,050.48 | 15.2% |
| June | 33,815,559.59 | 8,278,928.14 | 24.5% |
| July | 31,665,651.14 | 5,784,683.09 | 18.3% |
| August | 31,265,177.55 | 5,490,094.00 | 17.6% |
| September | 36,134,389.63 | 6,624,967.11 | 18.3% |
| October | 35,261,533.80 | 6,020,642.32 | 17.1% |
| November | 32,226,599.28 | 5,725,139.09 | 17.8% |
| December | 38,670,746.09 | 6,425,754.66 | 16.6% |
| January, 2016 | 58,746,249.00 | 13,831,359.75 | 23.5% |
| February | 40,790,144.05 | 4,474,356.06 | 11.0% |
| Total | $ 713,995,166.10 | $ 126,827,241.70 | 17.8% |
Bob Blankenship
Tim Freel