LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Lottery Commission legislative oversight committee on Thursday reviewed the rules for allowing lottery vending machines, the final step before the devices are placed in stores across the state.
A lottery official said the machines could be added by next month at places like Fred's and Dollar General. Negotiations with those and other retailers are expected to begin immediately, she said.
The lottery has already purchased 100 of the lottery machines and has said they could provide an additional $5 million a year in scholarships.
Sen. David Johnson, a co-chair of the legislative committee, said as the proceedings began that the body was only going to review rule changes passed unanimously earlier this month by the lottery commission, not to explicitly approve or disapprove of the rules or the devices themselves.
No vote was taken at the end of the discussion. Julie Baldridge, a spokesman for the lottery, said afterward that officials waited until after the rule review out of respect.
"If this committee objected strenuously ... a state agency would be ill-advised to disrespect or disregard that," she said.
Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue explained to the committee members how the machines will work and answered questions about age verification technology built into them.
He assured the committee the lottery would be involved with placing the machines, training staff and enforcing the rules, including that they be placed in the line of sight of an employee.
"We know this is going to be under scrutiny," Passailaigue said. "And rightfully so - it should be ... We will have zero tolerance for any slips."
Passailaigue left the statehouse immediately after the discussion. He declined comment as he walked away, telling a reporter he was going to another meeting.
Three people spoke out against the machines during the committee hearing, including Family Council President Jerry Cox. He said he collected 1,200 comments against the vending machines, which he said will enable underage and compulsive lottery playing.
"I can promise you kids are going to buy lottery tickets illegally," Cox said, likening the lottery machines to ones selling beer or cigarettes. "... We don't do that for very good reasons."
Afterward, Cox said his group will pursue a change in the law to ban the machines.