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Arkansas lottery would cost border states millions, estimate says Friday, Jul 11, 2008 By Doug Thompson Stephens Media CENTERTON - Missouri could lose more than $25 million in lottery ticket sales in the first fiscal year after Arkansas implemented a state lottery, according to the latest estimate presented to the Missouri Lottery Commission. The estimated loss of between $25 million and $30 million would only reach that high if Arkansas offered "powerball," in which several states participate in a promotion offering a large jackpot, and if gas prices continue to hold down interstate travel, Missouri Lottery spokeswoman Susan Goedde, said in the estimate made public Thursday. Total lottery ticket sales in Missouri in the last year were $995 million. Arkansas Lt. Gov. Bill Halter is spearheading an effort to change Arkansas' constitution to authorize a state-run lottery that he says would generate about $100 million a year for college scholarships. Halter's Hope for Arkansas campaign has submitted more than 138,000 signatures to the secretary of state's office to certify his proposed constitutional amendment for the November general election ballot. On Thursday, Goedde confirmed an estimate that projected Missouri and Oklahoma could lose a combined $30 million in lottery ticket sales if Arkansas established a lottery of its own. Halter's chief of staff, Michael Cook, gave the estimate while appearing in Northwest Arkansas in favor of the Arkansas lottery proposal. Cook spoke Thursday afternoon to the Centerton Kiwanis Club and was scheduled to speak Thursday night to the Benton County Republican Women. At Centerton, Cook said the estimated losses to Missouri and Oklahoma show "that Arkansans are buying lottery tickets - to the benefit of education in Missouri, Oklahoma" and other states that have lotteries. Oklahoma lottery director Jim Scroggins estimates his state's lottery sales to Arkansans would drop by about $10 million if Arkansas' lottery proposal gets on the ballot and passes, reducing the portion of sales that state keeps by $3.5 million. Scroggins also raised the possibility that Oklahomans might prefer to play an Arkansas lottery, depending on how a state lottery here would be set up. The Oklahoma lottery has some of lowest odds of any state lottery, figures show. Oklahoma currently pays out 54 percent on its instant games and 52 percent for online games, the lowest rate in the country. Missouri, for instance, pays out 68 percent of its lottery proceeds in prizes. Under Halter's proposal, the Legislature would establish rules and regulations governing how the Arkansas lottery is run. Cook was in Benton County on state time, Halter spokesman Garry Hoffman confirmed. State law that prohibits state employees from campaigning only applies to races with candidates, not public policy initiatives, he said. State law also prohibits state employees from soliciting signatures to put a policy initiative on the ballot. Cook and others in Halter's office "scrupulously" avoided any solicitation of signatures, Hoffman said. ------- The Associated Press contributed to this report |
