The Oklahoma Senate Appropriations Committee recently voted 24-9 to approve House Bill 1837, which would change current law requiring the Oklahoma Lottery to give 35 percent of its profits to education. The measure now will move to the full Senate.
Jay Finks, lottery director of marketing and administration, said the bill would allow the lottery to increase prizes and thereby increase funds directed to education by $100 million over the next five years.
Finks said lottery revenue going to education peaked at $71.6 million in fiscal 2008 and started a decline to $60.1 million in fiscal 2015, then increased slightly to $66.4 million in fiscal 2016. He partially blamed the situation on competition but mostly on prize amounts. “We have the lowest payouts in the country. It impacts sales. We can’t grow sales,” he said.
Finks said since the lottery began it has given $783 million to education, but at the rate it’s going it will give $225 to education in the next five years. However, if the legislation passes, that could increase to $335 million, he said.
Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, said, “Since the inception of the lottery, proceeds to public schools have steadily declined. This bill guarantees schools will receive $50 million for this year and all future years. Any additional money would also go to schools. We see this as a win for public schools. The current system for the lottery is not working.”
Among those voting against the measure was state Senator Marty Quinn. “I don’t think gambling is good for society. There is plenty of evidence of the harm it causes our society. It preys heavily on the less fortunate. They have the most to lose,” Quinn said.
