Jul 30, 2006 10:49 pm US/Central
New Lottery Ad Campaign Focuses On School Revenue
by Clif Caldwell
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 News) ―
The State of Texas Lottery Commission has a new campaign to tell the public how much money is going to education.
Billboards across the state explain that Texas schools have received $8-billion over the past eight years from the lottery.
It's a figure that most people don't realize, as CBS 11 News discovered after a quick sampling of residents in downtown Fort Worth.
"It's not going to education. Not even a little bit," said Fort Worth resident, Eva Estrada.
Decatur resident, Steve Lackey said, "I think it goes into the general Texas fund, and they distribute it how they need it."
The money going into Texas schools from the lottery commission equals about $1 billion dollars a year, which amounts to 28-cents for every dollar ticket sold.
Winners collect 60-cents on the dollar and the rest goes to sales and administrative costs.
"Our mission is generate revenue and we would hope that somebody that maybe is trying to make that decision to buy a lottery ticket, might buy one knowing that 28-cents on every dollar goes to help support education in the State of Texas," said Bobby Heith, Texas Lottery Commission.
However even after the explanation many people are skeptical.
"For the schools? It should be more… 50%. Cause we need, you know, funding in the school district," said Fort Worth resident, Vincent Lowe.
The new lottery ad campaign is expected to run through the end of August.
(CBS 11 News)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
