The head of the N.C. Education Lottery Tuesday urged patience for critics who say the games have fallen short of their first-year sales goal.
Executive Director Tom Shaheen said he hopes to spark sales this spring with two new games and a new twist on a third.
Lottery sales are expected to miss their $1.2 billion goal by $200 million.
"Obviously I'm in a business to raise money, and I want to raise as much as we can," Shaheen said after a Charlotte luncheon. "But to raise $1 billion the first year is a big accomplishment."
Speaking to about 50 people at the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club luncheon near SouthPark, Shaheen described how he got the lottery up and running in three months and 25 days. Players have spent more than $700 million on the lottery since it started March 30.
Overall, the games are expected to generate $350 million for education in its first year. They've brought at least $9 million to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
"We've been hugely successful," Shaheen told the group.
But scratch-off sales, which drive revenues, have fallen steadily since July, from $52 million that month to less than $37 million in December. Shaheen has blamed that on a natural drop in interest as well as competition from games in every border state.
gotta get that pick 4 going.i'd love to play that although that remains to be seen....
Also increase the payouts on instant games.
It's widely known that NC instant games payout % are lower than whale dung.
1. North Carolina doesn't have PowerPlay?
2. Why isn't NC getting Hot Lotto (at least not now?) I heard South Carolina was developing a "Carolina Plus 6".
BTW there are lawmakers in NY who want to cut the payout on scratch games to 40%. NC's pay 52%.
You got that right. Online games are the way to go, so they had better add Pick 4 by September 2007.
According to the article, the Powerplay multiplier will come to NC this spring. The multiplier is called PowerPlay. Maybe they meant to say just the 10x will be available this spring.
NY Blotto (currently 6/59) has always paid out 40%, and players have gradually taken notice. Imagine a flash cut from 65% to 40% on scratches.
Better write a open letter to the legislature about that.
I'm with you on that. I emailed NC Lottery to request the 4 digit game. The reply was that If the game would be considered, it would be within the next Fiscal year, which my thinking is, after July '07. Maybe if more folk would email NC Lottery, if would help to really get it started in the next Fiscal year.
The whole Poweplay thing has me stumped... We already have that!
SOMEONE NEED TO: GET a grip on stores in nc that are closing the lottery to early. if they dont want to sell tickets , and or scratch tickets up until state requirement times, then dont sell at all! pineville nc. shell gas station,and others. shut them down! they close lottery at 9:30pm everynight.
Maybe they don't want Hot Lotto because it is now a computerized drawing, and nobody likes that. Maybe if MUSL went back to ball drawings they could make a big event of it, and other states (and players) would be interested.
Read it again: they are talking about multiplying by up to 10 times. Nobody does that currently.
They said 'for a few weeks'. Didn't they also do that last year? They being all Powerball states.
Not on Cash 5 ... SC does so that's where I play that!