lotto.JPG

That didn’t take long. Arkansas started selling lottery tickets in September 2009 and three years later we have solid evidence — in a 7 percent drop in sales the last two months, according to an article in the Democrat-Gazette (pay wall) — of the inevitable maturing of the lottery.

Advertisement

The experience in every other state told us that, apart from population growth, percentage of free income is more or less unchanging. See Texas, to name one, where net lottery income has more or less been flat for nine years.

Unless you can find ways to encourage more people to separate themselves from more of their money, the growth arc of lotteries won’t be great. Arkansas Lottery officials blame the economy and weather for the recent downturn, though there’s some research that indicates hard times actually encourage desperate people to gamble more.

Advertisement

Whatever. The Arkansas Lottery can’t count on exponential growth to expand the scholarship pool it finances, so legislators are figuring out ways to reallocate the money. This could mean future fights between two-year and four-year college students. One proposal would stairstep the money — more for each successive year along a degree path. This inevitably would favor those better able to pay in the first place, not simply those with better academic achievement. As the percentage of college costs paid by the lottery scholarships continues to decline, the likeliest dropouts will continue to have a high correlation with financial pressures.

Arkansas, like other states, will continue to search for ways to increase gambling. More marketing, more games. You can see why the dearly departed Ernie P. had an interest in keno and video lottery terminals. Illinois has even started online lottery ticket sales.

Advertisement

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Morning roundup: Football and tax breaks for millionaires Next article Another drug bust announcement in East Arkansas UPDATE