Lottery director Ernie Passailaigue spoke before the Arkansas Lottery Commission today to explain why projections for lottery revenues, and the amounts paid in scholarships, were reduced. According to Passailaigue, because of a change made to the law in the 2010 session, a projected $9 million in unclaimed prize money that could have been used for bigger prizes or lottery promotions – a re-investment that would have increased net proceeds in the end – will now go to straight to net proceeds instead. In effect, Passailaigue said, the percentage of lottery revenues spent on prizes would also increase because those costs could not longer be off-set by unclaimed prizes. Even though the projections were lowered, Passailaigue says he believes it’s possible the lottery can still meet their initial goals. The commission unanimously approved a revised budget as a result.
In the Democrat-Gazette’s account this morning (subs. required), co-chairman of the Arkansas Lottery Commission Legislative Oversight Committee Rep. Barry Hyde said the change in the law was the result of a miscommunication between the lottery commission and the legislative oversight committee. Passailaigue took responsibility for that miscommunication and said the commission would try to work more closely with the legislature in the future. See the video above.