The Ohio Lottery Commission needs to take a long, hard look at changes it may make in the future.

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

The Ohio Lottery Commission needs to take a long, hard look at changes it may make in the future.

This week, the Columbus Dispatch reported lottery sales for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001 totaled $1.92 billion, down 10.7 percent from last year’s figure of $2.15 billion. According to the Dispatch’s report, the lottery earned $637 million in fiscal 2001 – $49 million less than fiscal 2000. It was also well below the record $749 million in profits in 1997.

Many factors may have led to the decline in sales, but the number one enemy to the Ohio Lottery has been Powerball – a multi-state lottery.

Even with the record jackpot last week – $54 million – the state lottery cannot compete with the winnings offered by multi-state lotteries. Jackpots that size are average to Powerball and have soared to the $100-million mark and beyond. Ohio, meanwhile, generally has jackpots in the $4- to $16-million range.

What hurts the state even more is three bordering states – Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana – participate in the Powerball lottery. Many Ohioans are willing to take the short drive – or in some cases maybe a little bit of a longer drive – to see their winning potential flourish considerably.

Recently there has been talk of Ohio joining a multi-state lottery. If the Ohio Lottery cannot keep up with the Joneses, perhaps now is the best time to make the move. Otherwise, the profits will continue to sag and, consequently, the state’s schools will suffer.