Proposed Oklahoma lottery discussed at forum

Mar 26, 2004, 8:38 am (5 comments)

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A lottery forum sponsored by the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals laid out the nuts and bolts Thursday of the proposal Oklahomans will vote on in November. 
 
But the one thing even the experts couldn't answer was how much money the education lottery would raise.

"Nobody really knows," state Secretary of Finance Scott Meacham said. "Other states vary greatly on what they have made per capita. It depends on the way the lottery is set up."

Gov. Brad Henry also said he didn't know how much the lottery would raise, but that it could range from $200 million to $300 million.

"The bottom line is this education lottery is going to raise tens of millions of dollars for education, and for me that makes it worth it," Henry said.

The Oklahoma Academy for State Goals is a private nonpartisan organization that identifies critical issues facing the state.

Matt Hopkins, an attorney with Henry, Canavan & Hopkins, PLLC in Shawnee; Clifton Lind, president and chief executive officer of Multimedia Games in Austin, Texas; Pat Hall, owner of The Capital Group; and Meacham talked about Oklahoma's proposal and how it would operate.

If voters approve the proposal, Henry will appoint a lottery commission that would hire a director and set up the lottery. The commission would have the authority to issue $10 million in bonds to get the lottery started. The bonds would be repaid through lottery sales.

Meacham said critics who say the lottery will bring in full-fledged Las Vegas-style gaming are wrong.

"We've had pari-mutuel gaming in the state for at least 10 years -- that's Class 3 gaming," Meacham said.

Lottery opponents say the governor and his supporters are clouding the truth about the proposed lottery.

"We're not going to hide from people the destroyed lives that accompany a lottery in other states and will destroy lives here," said Rep. Forrest Claunch, R-Midwest City.

Claunch is leading the campaign against the lottery.







Lottery vote

On the Nov. 2 ballot, State Questions 705 and 706 will ask voters to approve a state lottery and amend the Oklahoma Constitution to create a so-called "lockbox," which would guarantee all net proceeds from the lottery would be used to fund education.






Oklahoman

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LotteryInOK

Hopefully there will be a lottery here :)

johnph77's avatarjohnph77

I find it a little difficult to believe no one in Oklahoma would be informed about how much income a lottery would generate, seeing as how many states already have one and the per capita income can be estimated/averaged. Someone isn't doing any research or homework.

Woody's avatarWoody

Don't count on a lottery being passed in Oklahoma........The last time it was voted on the Bible thumpers and Horse Racing Assocoiaton effectively defeated it at the polls...........The hypocritical horse racers will soon have Indian style casino type games at all the horse racing tracks in OK because no one wants to go to the horse races any more.........And if the Horse racing "industry" in OK fails 50,000 jobs will be lost. What a crock of ____!

I live here and can't stand it!!!!!!!!!! And yes I would leave if I could.......

emilyg's avataremilyg
Quote: Originally posted by Woody on March 27, 2004

Don't count on a lottery being passed in Oklahoma........The last time it was voted on the Bible thumpers and Horse Racing Assocoiaton effectively defeated it at the polls...........The hypocritical horse racers will soon have Indian style casino type games at all the horse racing tracks in OK because no one wants to go to the horse races any more.........And if the Horse racing "industry" in OK fails 50,000 jobs will be lost. What a crock of ____!

I live here and can't stand it!!!!!!!!!! And yes I would leave if I could.......



[/QUOTE\\



woody = why can't you leave? move to ga.
CASH Only

Margaret DeFrancesco found the grass greener in Georgia. It is too for lottery players, compared to NY.

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