NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee state Senate minority leader is calling on fellow lawmakers to find ways to increase lottery revenues instead of cutting back on the scholarship program, while Gov. Bill Haslam has assigned his staff to consider a broad range of options for stabilizing the game's finances.
Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, said in a letter released Wednesday that while the Tennessee Higher Education Commission estimates that the lottery will deplete its sizable reserves by 2024, it also says annual losses could be stemmed with an 8 percent increase in ticket sales.
The senator also questioned the urgency for making changes when the lottery has more money in its reserves than it spends each year.
"I don't know a single person with more money in their savings account than they spend in a year who considers themselves broke," he said.
Haslam, a Republican, told reporters after a speech to a Nashville business group that the lottery needs to be self-sustaining.
"It is an issue that we are spending more than we're bringing in, and we can't keep doing that in kicking the can down the road," he said.
Haslam said he's asked his staff for a comprehensive look at neighboring states' lotteries to see if they might offer ideas for improvements in Tennessee. The governor did not rule out possible efforts to boost revenues ranging from allowing debit card purchases to smaller commissions for ticket retailers, but stressed that wants to hear "the arguments pro and con" before making a decision.
"By the time the Legislature comes around we'll have a voice in all that," Haslam said.
Retailers currently receive a 6.5 percent commission on lottery sales and tickets can only be purchased with cash.
"The technology has changed but we're still a cash business," Kyle said. "Since the passage of the lottery, debit cards have become a common method of payment but we don't allow them to buy a lottery ticket."
A special legislative panel has been appointed by Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, to consider changes to the lottery scholarships. One proposal floated during the Senate Lottery Stabilization Task Force's first meeting last month was doing away with the ability for high school students to qualify for scholarships through their ACT scores alone.
Currently, students must earn either a 3.0 grade point average or score a 21 on their ACT to qualify for a scholarship worth $4,000 at four-year schools.
I can't believe how stupid our RINO governor is!
Hey Governor!
Get Rid Of The Computers and Go Back to Real Ball Drawings and Tennesseans Will Stop Going to Neighboring States to Play the Lottery!
And Get Rid of The Dragon Lady (Hargrove)!
She's the One that Switched Us to Computers!
It ain't rocket science, we go to play where they have real ball drawings and better games!
WAKE UP!
Thank you and have a nice day.
Thank you Ridge! I totally agree.
Too bad the TEL folks won't listen. When the computerized drawings were first announced, I emailed to ask them to reconsider. The canned response included the comment that the drawings were going to be more "exciting" this way. Really? For whom? How about increasing the prize payouts. How "exciting" is $100 more or less for 4+1 (out of 5+1)?
I only buy an occasional QP when the jokepot gets way up there.
They should NOT take money from the retailers, who don't really get much of a bonus when they sell the big winning tickets. They have to deal with the scratchers standing around, making a mess and throwing losers on the ground and the inconsiderates who announce the numbers they want played instead of filling out a playslip.
If they would actually listen to their players, they'd sell more tickets. If they'd make scholarships contingent on getting good grades and actually graduating from college, there would be less wasted money.
Also, TN is one of the few states that don't let their players play a combo play for .50 for 1/2 of the prize money. All combos cost a dollar...period. I don't play much there either. They messed up the cash 5 game by making it more like a powerball game and the prize structure sucks!! I don't play it either. Some idiot up there needs to learn that if the players are NOT winning, they won't play.
My turn....When you treat your supporting players a little better we will play...When you buy 8 $20.00 scratch offs and nothing is on them not even a free ticket time to do something.No I will not play anymore either.I did get them scanned by the clerk and they were at the end of the roll.Tennessee has got to do something for us for a change.I tell everyone not to play here,and will continue to do so.Come on down here and get me for running my mouth.We all know you see what is played before you throw the lowest payout you can.We are not all stupid.I hope someone shuts the lottery down for scamming the people.You want my name and address let me know.I hate the Tennessee Lottery.
getting rid of cash 5, and replaceing it with a pack 6 game, that Has worst rollover amounts then cash 5, that had lower odds
it may only only started at 40k, but it went up 40k each draw mini, this thing starts at 200k cash, and only rolls 20k mini for like 1+ month, its not to its rolling into 2nd month that 20k starts to even go up a little
these people are idiots at profit making to max, best thing they have is powerball and mega millions are both playable just like ever other state.
hell they make more money going to hot lotto, then having the current pack 6 game needs to get trashed off , get hot lotto, and bring back old cash 5/pack 5 game, it had way more sells.
how about a raffle that has no set date, when 1m or whatever many X tickets sold, their a drawing the following say tuesday. etc, and keep doing it,
the point is, they are enemy of options to us players, and they depend on people who make and sell Scratch off games to even bring them new games at this point, cease ever time they change the state lottery games, they ruin it best they can for a lottery player.
god how i hate the higher ups that run this lottery games.
having a monopoly over lottery in state is why they do even some what well, cease they sure are not Pro's at giving us options that's for sure
i only buy about 1 scratch ticket per game to enter 2nd chance drawings" i think of it like a entering a 1 winner only raffle with a Long sell date before draw happens"
and just play mega millions and pb , and if that <snip> slow moving pack 6 game that we call tennessee cash, ever gets above 1m bucks, then i buy 1 ticket for it too.
as it Needs to pass 1m mark for me to even make it worth over buying a pb ticket/mm ticket
Yep, Give the players what they want.
Cut back on the scholarship program? why don't they just legislate and bar all working class families from college education.
This makes China and India very happy as they will keep churning out those scientists that are fast dominating all science research companies.
If they think education is expensive, they should try ignorance like some smart person once said.
need to bring bingo halls to tn, call up oklahoma get advice on how to run them so the criminals dont get involved stop punishing the people! i lived in oklahoma they know how to run bingo halls. this 2011 i think tn smart enough to have bingo halls and run them people want it so put a bill in let the people vote!
BINGO to Nashville Hey Yea.I agree with that.I go to Kentucky and Georgia to gamble,why not.I love that idea.Anything to bring down the lottery more.We can do donations from the bingo halls instead of the Lottery.Loving it.
"I don't know a single person with more money in their savings account than they spend in a year who considers themselves broke," he said.
He must not ever have any medical bills, car emergencies, emergency house repairs, kids,...I consider a year's worth of savings just enough to cover in case something goes wrong..technically, you are one emergency from being broke.
I don't think they have seen anything yet..losing 8% a year is nothing wait until it goes in the double digits which it will after this year.
Oh yea another thing you could save some money if you would stop all the stupid Lottery commercials.That would be one way to save money.Give it to the players in the pick 3 and 4.I think who ever runs that office down there is has issues.
Anyone who plays in Tennessee is throwing away their money.. I lived in Tennessee and have played all over the country.. Tennessee is crooked ... I would never waste another nickel in that state on the lottery...