Campus sales of Tennessee Lottery tickets unlikely

Mar 9, 2004, 4:43 am (4 comments)

Tennessee Lottery

While colleges are ready to accept tuition payments funded by Tennessee's lottery, that doesn't mean tickets for the games of chance will be sold on state campuses.

About 65,000 students are expected to attend state universities this fall on lottery-funded scholarships, and some students see a conflict in no on-campus ticket sales.

"If it's going to help students get an education, colleges should make an exception for the lottery," said Brendon Cole of Memphis, a freshman at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

"They should allow it (ticket sales) on campus," Cole told the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

UTC's student handbook cites gambling on university-owned property as a code-of-conduct violation.

Chattanooga State Technical Community College's campus has no retail outlets to sell tickets, said Foster Chason, an assistant to the president.

"I don't know if it would be proper for us to be in the business of promoting the lottery, from a philosophical standpoint," he said.

Chason said lottery tickets aren't being sold at any campuses governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents. He said administrators consider legalized gambling, while publicly sanctioned, to be inappropriate for the campus environment. Chason said that isn't a contradictory message.

"We could potentially be getting that student without the scholarship," he said.

The only retailers barred by law from selling Tennessee Lottery chances are pawn shops, cash-advance locations and businesses that exist for the sole purpose of ticket-marketing.

At Idaho State University, students receive free admission to basketball games if they present a scratched-off lottery ticket.

It's a "consolation prize for not winning money," said university spokeswoman Libby Howe. She said no school policy prdvents on-campus lottery ticket sales, but Idaho State University has no outlets that offer them.

It's the same in Georgia, said Tandi Reddick of the Georgia Lottery Corp.

"There is nothing prohibiting us from selling tickets on Georgia campuses," Reddick told the newspaper. "We just haven't done it."

Before Tennessee voters approved the lottery last year, rules at the University of Tennessee banned on-campus gambling.

"Lottery tickets aren't being sold on the campus, per se," said Mike Bradley, a spokesman for the University of Tennessee. "But the campus goes right up to Cumberland Avenue. That's known as 'the strip,' and there are merchants who sell tickets there. It looks like it's part of campus."

AP

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golotto

I really don't think the uni should sell lotto tickets. I'd dare to guess that every university located in a lottery participating state has retailers within a short walking distance from the center of campus. If a student 'really really' wants to participate in a lottery draw she or he has no problem getting a ticket. I just don't see the need for student unions to put in a lottery terminals.

TNmatt's avatarTNmatt

First, let me state that I am a college student in Tennessee who will not be receiving any scholarship funded by lottery profits.  As a whole college students don't have that much money.  Anyone who has been to college can attest to the fact that books and other necessary fees are extremely high.  Personally, it seems like a colleges in Tennessee would be sending a message to students that it's okay to blow what little money you have on the lottery, because it's coming back to you in the form of a scholarship if you qualify.  Applying that to any other part of society would be like promoting theft from the government because our tax dollars fund their spending.  Would anybody entertain the thought of a casino on a college campus?  Probably not, so why think about selling lottery tickets there?

DoctorEw220's avatarDoctorEw220

ok.  i am a college student as well, and let me tell you this.  the last thing college students should do is spend money on lottery tickets.  they're gonna need it for beer and pot instead (lol).

DoctorEw220's avatarDoctorEw220

they will also need their money for condoms and pizza as well.

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