Arkansas lottery director turns down $11,000 housing allowance
The incoming head of Arkansas' lottery, set to be one of the highest-paid lottery directors in the country, didn't take all the cash offered him.
Ernie Passailaigue's $324,000-a-year salary was just part of the deal when he was hired June 5. The Arkansas Lottery Commission chairman, Ray Thornton of Little Rock, also directed the state to pay $980 a month for a year $11,760 total for housing support for Passailaigue.
But Passailaigue turned it down. He said that during negotiations for the ...
Jun 25, 2009, 2:18 am - - Lottery News forum
Arkansas Lottery hires away S.C. director
New director is 3rd highest-paid in U.S.
The Arkansas Lottery Commission has hired Ernie Passailaigue, the director of the South Carolina lottery, to lead the formation of Arkansas' newly approved lottery program.
He will start the job July 1 and be paid a salary of $324,000. It's possible that lottery ticket sales could begin as early as October.
Passailaigue (pronounced Pass'-a-laig) is a past president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, a lottery tra ...
Jun 18, 2009, 9:47 pm - - Lottery News forum
Ark. Lottery Commission meets, discusses director candidates
The Arkansas Lottery Commission got a little closer, with emphasis on little, to naming an executive director.
The newly-formed commission met in Little Rock, and commssion chief Ray Thornton told members that the list of applicants for the position currently stands at 55.
That number does not include previous applicant Tom Courtway, interim president at the University of Central Arkansas, who has withdrawn his name from consideration.
The commission opted not to rely on a hiring commit ...
Jun 2, 2009, 8:12 am - - Lottery News forum
S.C. lottery chief says Arkansas can clear $125M in first year
New commission urged to focus on hiring director
South Carolina lottery director Ernie Passailaigue estimated that the Arkansas lottery could clear roughly $125 million in net profit its first year.
Passailaigue spoke to Arkansas Lottery Commission members Thursday afternoon at a working retreat held at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute within Petit Jean State Park. Joining him to pass along expertise in helping implement successful state lotteries was Margaret DeFrancisco, director of th ...
May 15, 2009, 8:24 am - - Lottery News forum
Connecticut lottery agents protest cut in commissions
More than 100 lottery agents from across the state came to Connecticut Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill Thursday to protest a cut in ticket commissions by the Connecticut Lottery Corp.
The agents, who represent businesses ranging from small convenience stores and gas stations to delis and grocery store chains, are frustrated by an act that state legislators passed in February that cut commissions from 5 percent to 4 percent as of April 1.
The lottery corporation's board of directors stil ...
May 8, 2009, 11:30 am - - Lottery News forum
Arkansas lottery commission fully staffed
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe on Monday appointed the final three members of the Arkansas Lottery Commission, naming George J. Hammons of Pine Bluff, Dianne Lamberth of Batesville and Ben Pickard of Beebe to the board that will oversee lottery operations.
Voters in the November general election approved a constitutional amendment authorizing state-run lottery games to raise money for college scholarships. The amendment left the lottery details to the Legislature.
The Arkansas Scholarship Lotter ...
Apr 14, 2009, 8:57 am - - Lottery News forum
Arkansas Lottery Commision takes shape
Confusion over salary cap for director position
Arkansas House Speaker Robbie Wills appointed three members to the newly created Arkansas Lottery Commission, and his lottery cleanup bill to clarify the salary of the commission's director cleared a committee Wednesday.
Wills appointed Joe White of Conway, Mike Malone of Fayetteville, and Susan Ward-Jones of Marion.
I established a criteria [for appointees] of honesty, integrity, and state and community responsibility, Wills said. These ...
Apr 4, 2009, 10:39 am - - Lottery News forum
Courier finds bag of lottery tickets
Gaming officials show a surprising lack of concern, though
Paul Neves didn't win the lottery, but he still feels pretty good.
The UPS courier was driving his usual Rexdale route last Wednesday at 10 a.m. when he came upon a ripped plastic bag on the side of Humber College Blvd., near Highway 27 full of brand new lottery tickets worth $3,400.
I checked the bag. I was amazed, there were hundreds of tickets. They were sealed in clear plastic wrap, 30 tickets in each package.
Included w ...
Mar 2, 2009, 8:40 am - - Lottery News forum
Arkansas lottery bill nearing completion
In Arkansas, the lottery is one of the biggest issues of this legislative session.
Speaker of the House Robbie Wills filed the first bill related to the issue, but it didn't have much in it. That's all about to change.
The speaker has been working on this very large document for months; in fact, he says he's learned more about how lotteries run than he ever thought he would.
It's in two parts: how the lottery operates and how the scholarships are funded and distributed.
The operation ...
Feb 24, 2009, 9:12 am - - Lottery News forum
CEO: Bonuses in lottery business are necessary
In a year in which the state is cutting back on spending, freezing pay and laying off staffers, Georgia Lottery CEO Margaret DeFrancisco received a $150,000 bonus.
In all, lottery staffers received about $2.5 million in bonuses this year.
DeFrancisco said the incentives are necessary to keep the lottery which set sales records again this year competitive with other businesses in the market for top workers.
The whole point is to attract and retain really talented people, DeFrancisco sai ...
Dec 29, 2008, 10:33 am - - Lottery News forum
