State lottery officials, who have enjoyed strong sales in a struggling economy, expect next year to be a bit tougher.
In a conference call with members of the Lottery Commission this morning, lottery director Tom Shaheen said he and the lottery staff project next year's ticket sales will be down slightly from the current year. Shaheen said officials anticipate selling $1.252 billion worth of lottery tickets in the next fiscal year. If that projection holds, it would be a $16 million dollar decrease from the current year's $1.268 billion budget.
"I believe this is a responsible number," Shaheen told commissioners.
The lottery is on track to meet its sales projections for this year, which would raise $386 million for education programs. If next years projections hold — and Shaheen said it's hard to predict in such a volatile economy — the lottery would raise $376 million for education.
This year, even with high gas prices, the lottery enjoyed strong sales. Today, the lottery will make its quarterly transfer for education programs. The figure will be a record for the two-year-old lottery: $99 million.
Comments
Re: Lottery expects sales to slip
October 22, 2008 - 9:33am — robdarichThis can't be right, the amout of pay and vacations for lottery staff implicates that the lottery is a fantastic acomplishment. They should have called it the Democrat Blackbeard GoldenLEAF Agribuisness DENR MaryEasley Education Lottery (just for clarity).
Re: Lottery expects sales to slip
October 22, 2008 - 9:28am — FFC1304Shaheen deserves another $250,000 BONUS for that profound information, right? Better give some to Mary Sleazely too 'from the people to Mary'...
Make that: Lottery expects sales to slip AGAIN
October 22, 2008 - 9:04am — jonoflockeThe boondoggle has a history — to be sure, a very predictable history, judging by all other state "education lotteries" — of shortfalls.
Re: Lottery expects sales to slip
October 22, 2008 - 8:34am — domewatcherWe all knew that next year’s lottery sales would fall due to the end of this year’s ACORN voter registration drive. ACORN has given a dollar to approximately 16,000,000 of North Carolina’s unregistered voters…..and one cigarette. And these 16,000,000 new registered voters took their dollar and purchased a lottery ticket, smoked the loosie and dreamed of being rich enough to be a Republican.
So naturally we will lose $16,000,000 in lottery ticket sales but will more than make it up in the drop in lung cancer rates when these 16,000,000 finish that lone cigarette.
I think the state budget will be all right if we get that $250,000 deposit back on that plane. It all comes down to that deposit. It will make us or break us. Keep your receipts and don’t sign anything like buying a plane until you first check with your attorney……or your ACORN rep.