AR Lottery Giving 14 Cents of Every Dollar to Students
Recently the Arkansas Lottery released its financial report for the month of October.
The report shows the Arkansas Lottery took in nearly $39 million last month, but set aside only $6.3 million for scholarships.
All told, so far this fiscal year the Arkansas Lottery has given college students a paltry 14.2% of its revenue.
For perspective, the average state lottery pays about 30% and some states pay even more.
Since July, the Arkansas Lottery has spent nearly $22 million on contracts, salaries, retailer commissions, marketing, advertising, promotions, and administrative expenses.
Last year the Arkansas Lottery spent nearly three times as much on prizes as it did on college scholarships.
Ten years running, the Arkansas Lottery is an absolute embarrassment to the state.
Below is a breakdown of lottery revenue and scholarship spending so far this fiscal year.
| Month | Gross Lottery Revenue | Paid to Scholarships | % Gross Revenue |
| July | $41,239,173.79 | $4,523,930.75 | 11.0% |
| August | 40,899,086.75 | 4,942,736.97 | 12.1% |
| September | 36,202,677.79 | 6,565,973.32 | 18.1% |
| October | 38,932,640.23 | 6,318,099.21 | 16.2% |
| Total | $157,273,578.56 | $22,350,740.25 | 14.2% |
