Lottery 2007
October 19, 2007
By Jerry Kopel
Perhaps the motto for the Lottery audit for the fiscal year ending June
30, 2007 ought to be "If you can't be first, it's good to be second best."
Gross income for 2006-07 was $455,916,812. That was nearly $13 million
below 2005-06. But before you start crying, it was also $39 million more
than in 2004-05. In other words, it was the second highest gross income
total ever achieved by the Colorado lottery since the lottery sales began
in 1982.
Main reason for the drop in gross revenue was Powerball. The lottery
pundits had predicted only a two year hike in income once Powerball
playing began in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002. They were wrong,
but smaller jackpots did hit Powerball this past fiscal year.
Powerball revenues were $79.9 million is 2002, $74.7 million in 2003, $85
million in 2004, $91 million in 2005, $119.8 million in 2006, and $101.6
million in 2006-07.
The auditor's belief was the high Powerball numbers in 2005-06 happened
because the jackpot reached "heights of $340 million and $365 million,
contributing to the extensive growth...The highest Powerball jackpot in
fiscal year 2007 was $240 million."
In the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, Colorado finally had a
Powerball winner, entitled to a $9.4 million cash prize, or $20 million
over a thirty year period, according to wire press stories.
The other three lottery games showed increases over the last fiscal year.
The most powerful game (and in my opinion the most addictive) is Scratch
which was up $3.3 million to $297.1 million.
Lotto was up $1.5 million to $39.8 million (a very minor sum compared to
pre-Powerball introduction) and Cash 5 increased about $500,000 to $17.4
million.
Colorado's statutes only require the players receive back at least 50
percent of the gross sales income. But the lottery staff is obviously
aware the higher the paybacks, the greater the play.
Of the Scratch game gross revenue, $199.7 million was returned to players,
which is 67.22 percent. Lotto gave back 51.9 percent, and Cash 5 returned
52.9 percent.
Only Powerball did not meet the 50 percent bracket, and it does not have
to. The 50 percent applies to the total gross played. Powerball gave back
49.6 percent, which was its highest return to date. It has never given
back 50 percent or more.
For the past six fiscal years, gross sales of Powerball tickets amounted
to around $542.7 million, with a payback to players of roughly $250
million.
Overall return to players was $276.9 million, or 60.74 percent. The
previous fiscal year return was 60.07 percent. The records of 61 percent
and higher returns are found in the fiscal years before Powerball.
The money available for distribution after expenses was $119 million.
Greater Outdoors Colorado received $51.3 million, the largest amount
possible under the constitution's limitations. The Conservation Trust Fund
got $47.6 million and Parks and Recreation walked out with $11.9 million.
This left $8.2 million in surplus for public school safety, health, and
repairs under CRS 22-54-117. Over the past six years, the spill-over given
to public schools has totaled $37 million.
This year the Lottery hired a new marketing vendor, Cactus Marketing
Communications, who came on board in September for three years, with a
maximum $9 million annual budget. Cactus replaces Karsh and Hagan, which
held the contract since the lottery began in 1982. Hopefully, there will
be no nutty ads.
Commissions and bonuses to retailers amounted this fiscal year to $33.7
million, which is slightly under 7.4 percent of the total gross ticket
sale numbers. Paying high commissions and bonuses made sense when the
lottery was just beginning. Frankly, retailers should be paying the
lottery for the privilege of selling tickets, since the addiction brings
customers into the stores.
A reduction of $6 million from the $30.3 million paid in commissions (not
bonuses) to retailers would have allowed the Conservation Trust Fund and
Parks and Recreation to receive nearly equal their share received for the
fiscal year ending June 30,2006.
There is presently a law suit which could be based on a Charles Dickens
novel. The audit states "In 2001, a plaintiff filed a class action suit
claiming that the Lottery breached its contract with players by continuing
to sell instant tickets in games in which the top prizes had already been
claimed.
"After exhausting the appeals process, the plaintiffs filed and were
granted a petition for certiorari by the Colorado Supreme Court. The
parties are currently briefing the case. At the present, it is not
possible to predict the outcome of this action."
In my opinion, in the future the lottery should be required to notify
future players that the major Scratch prizes have already been awarded. It
could be done either by court decision or by legislative requirement.
If you or I did what the lottery has been doing by its silence, my guess
is we would be facing a criminal fraud action, especially if ads continued
to mention the higher prizes as available.
(Jerry Kopel served 22 years in the Colorado House.)
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