This week the Arkansas Lottery posted its financial report for the month of December.
According to the report, the Arkansas Lottery took in nearly $35.4 million, but paid out less than $4.6 for scholarships–about 13% of the Lottery’s total revenue for the month.
As we have written repeatedly, the Arkansas Lottery budgets a pathetic percentage of revenue for scholarships as it is, but these numbers are particularly dismal. For example, the Arkansas Lottery made more money in December than it did in August, September, or October, but it paid it out far less for scholarships than it did any of those months. In fact, according to our records, December of 2016 was one of the worst months for scholarships at the Arkansas Lottery ever.
You can read the Lottery’r report here. Below is a breakdown of the Lottery’s revenue and scholarship spending this fiscal year.
| 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% |
| October | 34,061,993.14 | 5,165,040.54 | 15.2% |
| November | 37,042,079.72 | 6,570,979.51 | 17.7% |
| December | 35,352,159.35 | 4,596,532.22 | 13.0% |
| Total | $212,897,939.86 | $36,318,729.94 | 17.1% |
