| Updated: 2/01/2010 10:58 pm |
Published: 2/01/2010 4:04 pm
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Oklahoma lottery officials are betting a new game will entice more people to play. You can now buy a Mega Millions ticket in Oklahoma. But will this help boost lottery revenue? Fox 23’s Douglas Clark has more.
While the jackpot for Mega Millions starts at $12 million, which is less than the $20 million for Powerball, the odds of winning are slightly better. And lottery officials hope that gets more people playing and pumps more money into the state’s education system.
Even though he’s never won, Terry Smith loves buying lottery tickets. He hadn’t heard about the new Mega Millions game until we told him about it.
When asked if he’ll play more often or buy more tickets, he replied, “Yes. I’m a gambler. I’d like to have that million dollars.”
And that’s what lottery officials want to hear. They predict sales will fall $5.5 million by next year, because, in this tight economy, fewer people are playing. There has also been competition from Arkansas’ new lottery.
While they don’t yet have specific projections, lottery officials hope the Mega Millions game will boost revenue, making education's 35% cut bigger. It's a percentage some argue, that's been tough to track.
“The schools did not get all the money they should have gotten,” says lottery player Beverly Brooks. “The layoffs and the equipment are still needed, the teachers being cut and salaries being cut and not distributed properly.”
Even so, Reggie Jordan spends about $75 a week on lottery tickets. He’s excited about Mega Millions, but doesn’t think he’ll be spending more than he already does.
“I’m going to curtail my scratch-offs. So that will take the place of it,” says Jordan.
One other difference between the games – players have to choose whether they want the annuity or lump-sum payment when they buy a Mega Millions ticket.
Lottery officials would like to lower the percentage of revenue going toward education in order to boost prizes. They think that will entice more people to play and put more money into education in the end.
