Arkansas Lottery Director says they are not surprised about potential dip in sales
By Kate Northrop
With gas prices on the rise, players may be cutting back on their lottery spending in the near future.
State lotteries may begin to see a downward trend in their revenue stream in the upcoming months should lottery players start to rethink their budget to accommodate for rising gas prices.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette interviewed Vicki Skaggs of Benton, Arkansas, an office manager who says she's planning on reducing her lottery ticket purchases as a result of higher gas prices.
"You are going to be only able to afford to go to work and home," the player surmised on Thursday. She had just bought several scratch-off tickets totaling $20 at the Casey's gas station convenience store on North Reynolds Road in Bryant.
Normally, Skaggs will buy about $20 worth of lottery tickets every other day. However, her spending habits might change since she anticipates gas prices will soon surpass $5 a gallon.
According to the AAA Arkansas Weekend Gas Watch, the price of regular unleaded fuel in Arkansas was on average $3.90 per gallon. The record for the highest average price for the same type of fuel was seven cents higher, recorded in July 2008.
The Arkansas Lottery says they are prepared for the potential dip in sales revenue and that a decrease was to be expected.
"As gas prices continue to, quite literally, jump daily, we expect to see additional taper," Lottery Director Eric Hagler told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Thursday. "This was forecasted in our budget, so we are not completely surprised."
At least for the Lottery, there is a silver lining amidst the timing of hiking prices at the gas pump.
"On a positive note, tax returns are in the mail, and spring is around the corner," Hagler continued. "Historically, March delivers the highest performance, and we are seeking good sell-through of our games."
In February alone, the eighth month in the 2022 fiscal year, the Arkansas Lottery generated $42.3 million in sales, about $300,000 more than the same month last year. Online records made public by the Lottery show that the year-to-date sales top nearly $380 million. That's down from $388.1 million compared to the same time in 2021. So far this fiscal year, the Lottery has transferred $61.9 million to the state scholarship fund.
So the lottery is banking on tax refund checks to boost their revenue? How about paying out ALL the grand prizes on all the scratch off games? Instead of canceling them before. Not to worry, they'll just make 3 other $30 scratch off tickets to go along with the 5 they already have. Forget about the $2 scratchers, they're not even on the shelves anymore...I think people should worry more about real bills....ah dare to dream. ..
Lotteries hav some nerve complaining about decreased sales. They increased the purchase price on jackpot games, they increase the number of balls to make it harder to win. Thier greed forces them to add a midday draw in addition to the evening draw. They justify it by saying "We find that the betting public likes being cheated"
Mega Millions and Powerball starting jackpot to be 10 million now? Lol.
Instead of a Dollar and a Dream, It'll be Broke and:
https://cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/dreaming-freedom
I think people would rather give up cigarettes and chewing tobacco rather than to give up buying scratch-off lottery tickets.
Briefly and I mean briefly went to their website. Did not see anywhere where customers might enjoy the convenience of playing ON-LINE!
Last week they had an update to mobile app and my phone wouldn't work with it anymore. On the phone with IGT over the weekend to try to fix it. Last night deleted the App, called IGT again and gal talked me though it. The KLC website really needs updating as Android doesn't even have the features they screen shotted anymore! Be that as it may so glad we have the convenience of mobile shopping!
Ironically as much as I griped with the lower starting jackpots on MM & PB still playing as much as ever. So tired of everything being blamed Covid-19, those lotteries know folks will still play. So let's screw the players and make it less appealing to play.
Hopefully all the lotteries will use this as an excuse to dump all their crappier games (like Poker Lotto here).
Michigan has 6 Jackpot games. The Two multi state games plus the Fantasy Five, Classic 47, Fast Cash and the "Jack".
Hopefully those will get weeded also. If they cut down on the number of Jackpot games the ones that are remaining will roll higher faster!
Off topic -
Andy nuther thing, how about dumping the gasoline taxes for awhile...the revenue is going to obviously drop anyway from the reduced sales so the governments should at least consider that too!
The lottery is a rip-off they make so much money and they are complaining how about sales being down, come on man y'all are killing us. Sales are down because people are not winning! That's the main reason why sales are down people are not playing as much because they are losing their money!
Soledad, I so agree. You're right.
Some nerve they have.
hmmm.
i didn't look at it that way. I think the "less" playing, they will start to produce more winner's in ALL games.
G-luck to you, Too badd$
I will not be that upset if I win only a 10 million dollar jackpot. I can make do with that even after taxes.
"regular unleaded fuel in Arkansas was on average $3.90 per gallon"
I only know per liter.
american dry gallon = 4,40488377 liter
gallon (USA) = 3,78541178 liter
brittish gallon = 4,546092 liter
So that would be the second?
round2(3.9/3.78541178,5)"$ / liter"
=1.03027"$ / liter"
round2(1.03027/1.09,5)"EUR / liter"
=0.94520"EUR / liter"
Haven't seen anything under 1 euro for years I believe.
round2(round2(5/3.78541178,5)/1.09,5)"EUR / liter"
=1.21180"EUR / liter"
Still seems to be very cheap to me. Google the online prices for Europe!
Sure, it is a commodity, market driven. No President can regulate gasoline prices.
US Government AG should investigate the obvious price gouging. Also stop giving the oil companies billions each year! Take a look @ gas prices when President Obama was in office, barrels of oil much cheaper yet gas went to over $4/gallon.
Knowledge is power.
Liter prices in EUR, of an article of 25/2/2022.
Today local price, super 95 E10: 1.951 EUR / liter ... (carbu)
Diesel over 2.2 EUR / liter. That used to be the cheapest. ...
I will check that out at the cross point tomorrow.
23:30 GMT+1
Liter price in euros. 1 EUR = 1.09 USD
g=3.78541178
=3.78541178
ss=1.951
=1.951
sp=2.023
=2.023
d=2.286
=2.286
$=1.09
=1.09
ss*$*g
=8.0500188372302
sp*$*g
=8.3470979537246
d*$*g
=9.4322619486972
This is not the place for politics!
Putin did it, lol
Biden needs to check his watch for bedtime stories.
How about the price of Food? Electricity ? Water? Medicine? Car Insurance? Homeowners Insurance?
Gas and diesel prices have been coming down the last week or so here..
Cottoneyedjoe?, ya betta hurryup n hit dat Superlotto Plus out there so, you can afford ta git around..Gas costz almost 6 or $7. there..!!
2oooooo xpensive to visit CrIcKeTvIlLe..!!
Dear Mr. Bleudog, Maybe you weren't aware, but Mr. Potatoehead signed and executive order shutting down our pipe lines.
Hint : We were energy independent under the Fabulous President Trump.
Your assessment of Knowledge is Power is correct, welp, here's a tiny tidbit of knowledge, even though we are not buying ( TOO MUCH OIL UNDER PUTIN, we are getting it from the people he's selling to.
OBAMA kept that pipeline shut down, that also helped our enemies and hurt American Families.
Barry also shut down coal mines, Logging, Mining , Gulf oil, Steel production, Maine Lobsters.
These are all the things America needs for a sound infrastructure , sans the Lobsters.
We had to buy these materials from other Countries, good for them bad for us.
So yes, Potatoehead had a hand in high gas prices, food, medicine etc.
Just another tidbit, until the tremendous Donald Trump came into office, for some strange reason all of our Antibiotics were being Manufactured abroad , Can you imagine a Country being so angry at us they stopped sending medicine, or worse they send poisonous pills. Lucky for us some are being made here again.
China, Canada and Mexico are the biggest producers of our medicine, ponder that.
l recently watched " Matrix Resurrection " and Niobe's saying "You'd be surprised how much noise the matrix pumps into your head" is pretty prophetic in this day and time as well. Reading how we were energy independent is also noise. The oil we have in the ground here is Champagne compared to the coffee from abroad. We need that coffee to keep our vehicles running. Don't believe all that noise out there.
Welp Weasel, instead of watching movies maybe you should learn about supply and demand, Mr. Potatoehead cut our supply, we not only had our own oil, but we were one of the largest exporters, but he put an end to that, thus giving Putin the market share, where do you think he got the money to fund his war?
PS just served you some lunch
Thank you for helping me with my point, Yes we have the Champagne of oils, why settle for Coffee? Hello, is there anybody in there?
We should have good oil, better for the environment.
They're on a serious GREED HIGH..and just don't wanna come down awuph it..!
Everybody'z doin the best thang... withhold ya contributionz.. til they follow South Carolina'z example.. SC iz still makin money, but they treat their playerz fair.. and that'z all that ALL Playerz want & deserve...
Higher cost of gas, is just an xtra nudge to hold on to dem Dead Prezidentz..!!
or pay'em wit Clinton Coinz & Biden Billz..
.. which ain't wortha Dime...!! 
Nice try..
Factcheck.org ( March 2022.)
* When politicians say that the United States was “energy independent” under former President Donald Trump, some people may get the false impression that the U.S. was 100% self-sufficient. The country still relied on foreign sources of energy, including oil.
To help meet domestic demand, the U.S. has imported oil and other forms of energy from abroad, including from Russia, for many years. And to some energy analysts, a scenario in which the U.S. relies only on the energy it produces is not likely to happen anytime soon.
Instead, those who tout this so-called “energy independence” may be referring to the fact that, on net, the country either produced more energy than it consumed, exported more energy than it imported, or, more specifically, had a greater number of exports than imports of petroleum, which includes crude oil and refined products from crude oil, such as gasoline and various fuels.
*I will not bore you with the denials, you can go to the site and check it out for yourself, see- that's what people do who want to get the " facts." By the way, you can keep your lunch.
What a gaslighter, don't need your left wing ( say this or say that rag)
Fact, Biden through EO shut down our pipelines, thus creating a shortage, knowing full well Russia would benefit.
Russia Russia Russia, now we know who is really working for Putin and his name is Biden!!!!!!!!!
He screwed so Pooty could raise war money, otherwise known as how do help Putin with Ukraine without being obvious.
Factcheck.org was founded by Brooks Jackson, a former CNN reporter.
So much for your "facts."
Nice try.
Have a nice day.
* Gee, it's as Yoda said to Luke " That is why you fail!"
* Have a nice day!
Fact checkers say actual quote is "You Fail, that is why"
Interesting.
Note that here the big part of the price is made of taxes. The government lowered that tax to make benzine & diesel affordable for those rich enough to own a car and drive it. Knowing the high price of fuel I watched the cars passing. There was less traffic and surprisingly or not, the bigger cars were on the road, saying the people that could afford more expensive cars!
When the price is higher and they multiply for the taxes, the government must lower the taxes and I said that many years ago in class responding to a question. They did that here. There is simple mathematics that you learned maybe age 8 or 9.
I just didn't read an article of an open flipped luxury mag in the laundrette. They were laying the connection between love and cash. The article is known, I guess. Don't create some illusion, cash is it! The rest is somehow organized with social help and such. Meanwhile there is the problem of invading snoggers, they bite and you turn black. So for the show, they create camps to gather those snoggers and put them on planes to Africa, Asia and maybe America. I say that it is a show because they don't put all the snoggers in the camps, only some. So, you understand that, like in the USA, the show goes one until only black muppets are left over. ... Your vote sucked.
Listen here, you blue pill junkie...