Lottery expecting sales to decline by $200M

December 5, 2008 01:21 PM Email| Comments (15)| Text size – +

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

With the economy struggling and people pinching pennies, the Massachusetts State Lottery has increased its estimate of an expected decline in ticket sales.

While the agency had said in October that it expected a 1.5 percent drop, or about $75 million, in sales, compared with the previous year, it now says it expects the drop to be 4 percent, or about $200 million.

Mark Cavanagh, the lottery’s executive director, emphasized that fiscal 2008, which ended in July, was a record year for the Lottery, with the agency racking up $4.7 billion in sales.

He also said the agency is hoping that the outlook for fiscal 2009 will improve in the next few weeks. “The holidays are a big time for us, so we’re hoping to make some of that back. ... We’ve got high hopes,” he said.

A big boost could come today. Sales are running about $2,000 per minute this afternoon, as customers buy chances on a $146 Mega Millions jackpot, which will be drawn tonight, he said.

Cavanagh said $3 million has already been cut out of the Lottery’s operating budget, but it is still looking for savings.

“We’re taking a serious look at what programs we think we can cut back on and not seriously impact sales. At some point, you start cutting your own appendages off and it becomes a downward spiral,” he said.

Cavanagh said Lottery sales had been running ahead of fiscal 2008 until late September when the financial crisis hit.

He said the Lottery had estimated when the year began that it would turn over $903 million to assist cities and towns, but it is now looking at turning over $863 million.

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15 comments so far...

Maybe if they started having some WINNING scratch tickets, people would start playing again. I got $200 worth of tickets for birthday and only won a total of $25!!!! Such a ripoff!

Posted by moemoney December 5, 08 02:00 PM

no one is winning so no one is playing,ask around where people play see how many played and how many winners

Posted by Rich December 5, 08 02:29 PM

I agree, I got 5, $20 tickets, supposidely there is a 1 in 4 winning ticket..well guess what, they lied! I won crap. A waste of $100.

Posted by mazie December 5, 08 03:06 PM

That's why they call it gambling.

Posted by musicman December 5, 08 03:08 PM

yes it's true, a few friends of mine play avidly, I play once in a great while (now less so) and we all stop buying scratch tickets because we nebver ever win anything anymore! I used to win at least once out of every 3-4 times I play, but after a losing streak of 8 tickets I stopped completely.. I mention all this because I am certain the lottery VIP's will read this article and subsequent posts ( I should hope they do) and maybe contrive a better system for winners (you know it's all calculated for winners to hit when ever they decide, they should stop stretching out the winning tickets so far and long, and let us win more often, it's ridiculous, everyone I know never wins anymore? it's bullshit and controlled. Thats what we all think and thats why we rarely buy anymore.

Posted by Squishdish December 5, 08 03:28 PM

The odds were decreased under Jane Swift. It is now insane to buy scratch tickets. How crazy? I had an uncle - he was not sane. He believed you could win with scratch tickets. He mortgated his condo for $127,000 - spent every penny on scratch tickets and lost it all in 3 years (right after his wife passed away). He now is in a nursing home & has nothing. Did you ever go into a package store to see old men playing keano - and scratching tickets? Saddest sight you ever saw.

Posted by edkeselman December 5, 08 03:52 PM

Well, they run a rigged Keno game, they chased out legitimate gambling interests in this state, and they should be brought up on racketeering charges. I always find it amusing that the people at the State House find casino's seedy (where most games other than slots you're getting 48-52 odds usually) yet they are fine with hawking fake odds (one in 3 chance of winning on this scratch ticket, of course, it's not really winning on half of them but a push (which a casino would get wrecked for if it advertised pushes as wins). Bunch of pondscum, Dimasi is a punk.

Posted by joe bob December 5, 08 03:58 PM

Don't fall victem to gambling schemes with low chances of winning, it's like getting into stocks when you don't know how wallstreet works. There are plenty of inventive, and totally legal, ways to "gamble" yourself some winnings with close to if not 100% success. For example: selling your old junk on ebay, some people will pay an arm and a leg for your old and unique treasures that you hold no more value towards, the turnout is the gamble but as long as you sell you're making some cash! I understand that a good portion of that money spent on gambling comes back to us, but if your intent is on spending a little for a higher turn out then you have to ensure your chances are more than favorable.

Posted by Dizzle December 5, 08 04:33 PM

what do they expect?
the economy stinks
PLUS (and this is a big PLUS)
they say it's LOTTERY LIVE yet they do NOT even show the drawing of the numbers anymore
What the hell is up with that??
Smells like a freakin scam to me
That's why I QUIT playing the Daily Number!
Channel 5 says "Lottery Live" and I pop on the TV and see a pre-drawn #?
I'm all set with that B.S.!!!!

Posted by eddieh316 December 5, 08 04:54 PM

i agree with most that the winners are few and far between. maybe they think
that the lottery is a bank . if they can't raise taxes they lower winners taxes paid.
prop 2 1/2 over ride complete??????? huh!

Posted by nocturnal December 5, 08 05:28 PM

Why not start a contest for the best name for the crap that comes off when scratching the ticket? I have never found a good name for that stuff.

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