State lottery increases your chance to win

July 5, 2010

Californians who buy lottery Scratcher tickets are winning more–and now playing more. [Ventura County Star]

Scratcher sales leaped by $55 million in June, thanks to a change in state law allowing lottery officials to increase the percentage of revenues returned in prize money.

Confident that the trend will continue, officials are now projecting a 16 percent increase in revenues from all combined games this year–from $3 billion up to $3.5 billion. Scratcher sales alone are expected to increase 33 percent across the state.

The change, long sought by lottery officials, removes the requirement of the voter-approved 1984 Lottery Act that revenues be distributed through a rigid formula: 50 percent for prizes, 34 percent to schools and 16 percent for administrative and marketing costs.

Lat April, Gov. Schwarzengger signed a new law, mandating that lottery administrative costs be reduced by 13 percent. Lottery officials now have more flexibility as to how much is given back in winnings, as long as at least $1 billion goes for public schools.

During this new fiscal year, which just began July 1, public schools are expected to receive $1.1 billion from the lottery.

California is the last state with a lottery to increase the chance of winning.