Last week the Arkansas Lottery published its financial report for the month of September.
The report shows the Arkansas Lottery took in $33.1 million in September–more than $1 million per day–but paid less than $5.8 million to scholarships.
In other words, less than 17.5 cents of every dollar the Lottery made last month actually went to scholarships.
Here’s a breakdown of the Arkansas Lottery’s revenue and scholarship funds for Fiscal Year 2017, which began last July:
| Month | Gross Lottery Revenue | Paid to Scholarships | % Gross Revenue |
| July | 38,237,293.92 | 8,714,386.39 | 22.8% |
| August | 35,091,022.09 | 5,498,714.86 | 15.7% |
| September | 33,113,391.64 | 5,773,076.42 | 17.4% |
| Total | $106,441,707.65 | $19,986,177.67 | 18.8% |
At this rate, the Arkansas Lottery is on track to pay about $80 – $85 million in college scholarships in Fiscal Year 2017.
Here’s something very telling about the Arkansas Lottery, however: In 8 of the past 12 months the Arkansas Lottery budgeted less than 18% of its revenue for college scholarships.
To put those numbers into perspective, the average state lottery budgets about 30% of its revenue for its intended purpose; Louisiana gives 35% of its gross lottery revenue to education.
The fact that the Arkansas Lottery continues to budget such a small percentage of its gross revenue for scholarships speaks volumes about the Lottery’s priorities.
Here’s a breakdown of gross revenue and scholarship funds during the past 12 months at the Arkansas Lottery:
| Month | Gross Lottery Revenue | Paid to Scholarships | % Gross Revenue |
| October, 2015 | 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% |
| March | 40,579,421.05 | 5,758,892.84 | 14.2% |
| April | 37,516,802.47 | 7,392,837.00 | 19.7% |
| May | 38,485,146.05 | 6,606,164.94 | 17.2% |
| June | 34,983,951.24 | 11,249,220.37 | 32.2% |
| July | 38,237,293.92 | 8,714,386.39 | 22.8% |
| August | 35,091,022.09 | 5,498,714.86 | 15.7% |
| September | 33,113,391.64 | 5,773,076.42 | 17.4% |
| Total | $463,702,300.68 | $87,470,544.70 | 18.9% |
