The Arkansas Lottery Commission approved a fiscal 2014 budget Monday that projects a decline of more than $21 million in revenue compared with the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Commission officials estimate the lottery will raise$89.5 million for scholarships, or $9 million less than the commission had projected for the current fiscal year.
Director Bishop Woosley said the 2014 budget was based on the commission’s adjusted forecast for fiscal 2013, which decreased from a projected income of $98 million at the start of the year to about $90 million in recent months.
Total ticket sales for the first 10 months of the year fell $36.4 million from the first 10 months of fiscal 2012 to $365.8 million. Last year, ticket sales totaled $402.2 million through the first 10 months.
Net proceeds also declined from $80.8 million in the first 10 months of last year to $71.4 million this year.
Ticket sales in April dropped $1.25 million from April 2012 with about $32.3 million in scratch-off sales and $5.8 million in draw-game ticket sales. In April 2012, the lottery reported $33.2 million in scratch-off ticket sales and $6.2 million in draw-game sales.
Ticket sales were less than $800,000 below what the commission budgeted for the month.
“We were just about where we thought we were going to be. We were a little lower than last year, but we were right in that range, so I was pleased with April’s sales,” Woosley said.
Woosley said he expects this month’s Powerball sales to provide a “nice bump” for the year’s sales and scholarship contributions, despite a decline in sales that is usually seen in May.
Ticket sales in Arkansas and nationwide soared in recent days because of a near-record Powerball jackpot on Saturday. Of the 7,598,546 tickets that won money, 51,245 were sold in Arkansas.
The $590.5 million jackpot ticket was sold in Florida, but had not been claimed Monday afternoon.
With May’s increased revenue, Woosley said he hopes to make up for losses seen earlier in the year and to put the lottery back on course for the end of the fiscal year.
“I hope it will make up some ground for us, for sure. Hopefully we’ll knock a chunk out of what we’re behind and come into where we want to be or a little bit more [over projections],” Woosley said.
In other business, the commission voted unanimously to appoint George Hammons of Warren as chairman, replacing Ben Pickard, who was elected in May 2012.
Pickard will continue to serve on the board. His term expires April 1, 2019.
Hammons was reappointed to the commission in September 2011 and his term ends April 1, 2017.
Hammons was one of two commissioners to vote against Woosley’s hiring as director in February 2012.
Woosley said he and Hammons have a “good relationship.”
The commission also selected Steve Faris of Central to serve as vice-chairman and John “Smokey” Campbell of Hot Springs as secretary.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 05/21/2013