State-Run Lottery Unveils Even More Scratch-Off Tickets

Arkansas Lottery

The Arkansas Lottery recently unveiled a slate of four new scratch-off tickets, according to information posted on the Lottery’s website.

The tickets sell for anywhere from $1 to $10, and advertise prizes up to $200,000.

As we have written many times, the Arkansas Lottery has a habit of rolling out a steady stream of new lottery games every month.

The Lottery also spends more money on prizes than most state-run lotteries, and it relies very heavily on scratch-off tickets for revenue.

Players who buy the Arkansas Lottery’s newest $10 scratch-off ticket hoping to win $200,000 have roughly a two in three chance of losing their money. The odds of winning the jackpot are a staggering one in 440,000.

As we have said time and time again, scratch-off tickets like these are linked to problem gambling and gambling addiction.

A 2015 study in Canada described them as “paper slot machines.” 

A 2018 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions found a link between how often a person played scratch-off tickets and the severity of a person’s gambling problem.

Despite all of this, the Arkansas Lottery continues to roll out new scratch-off tickets every month and budgets 70% of its revenue for prizes in an ongoing effort to prop up lottery ticket sales.

Photo Credit: Powerball and Mega Millions Lottery Billboard in Missouri by Tony Webster, on Flickr.

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Planned Parenthood Donates to Arkansas Candidates

Abortion, Planned Parenthood, , , ,

Planned Parenthood recently donated $2,700 to candidates running for the Arkansas Legislature, according to quarterly financial reports filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office last week.

The reports show Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes Arkansas — the abortion giant’s political action committee in Arkansas — gave money to following candidates:

  • $100 to Rep. Clarke Tucker (D — Senate District 32)
  • $700 to Daisy Bonilla (D — House District 93)
  • $100 to Rep. David Whitaker (D — House District 85)
  • $100 to Rep. Denise Ennett (D — House District 36)
  • $100 to Lisa Hassell (D — House District 68)
  • $500 to Suzie Bell (D — House District 97)
  • $100 to Rep. Tippi McCullough (D — House District 33)
  • $1,000 to Ashley Hudson (D — House District 32)

The report indicates that all of the donations were made on July 21 of this year — except for the $1,000 donation to Ashley Hudson, which was made on September 22.

Planned Parenthood’s political action committee has been active in Arkansas this year.

The organization endorsed several legislative candidates as well as two congressional candidates from Arkansas last spring.

Last fall Planned Parenthood’s super PAC pledged to spend at least $45 million on the 2020 election, with four main goals:

  • Defeat President Trump
  • Flip the U.S. Senate from Republican to Democrat
  • Maintain Democratic control over the U.S. House of Representatives
  • Support liberal candidates in state races

All told, Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes Arkansas currently has $15,190 at its disposal to give to candidates ahead of the elections on the November 3.

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