|
Texas/Mexico News
| News | Sports |
Business | Opinions |
Columns | Entertainment |
| Science/Technology | Weather | Archives | E-mail Us |
Tuesday, September 28, 1999
Keep Texas Lotto just as it is, residents urge lottery commission
Players oppose increasing number of balls which would make winning more difficult, profitable
By Anna M. Tinsley
Scripps Howard Austin Bureau
|
How you can get involved
To comment about the proposed changes, you may write the Texas Lottery Commission, general counsel Kim Kiplin, P.O. Box 16630, Austin, 78761-6630.
|
AUSTIN - Garland's Dawn Nettles has played Texas Lotto since it kicked off seven years ago. While she hasn't hit the jackpot yet, she isn't giving up.
On Monday, she was among those who asked the Lottery Commission to leave Texas Lotto alone.
Lottery commission officials are considering increasing the number of balls in the twice-weekly drawings from 50 to 54 - a move that would make winning less likely but more profitable.
"People say your chances of getting hit by lightning are better than winning the Lotto,'' said Nettles, author of The Lotto Report newsletter and Web site, who spoke Monday during the first public hearing on the proposed changes.
She said she realizes the odds of winning a Texas Lottery multi-million jackpot is now one in 15.8 million. But under the proposed changes, the odds of winning the jackpot would jump to one in 25.8 million.
Under the proposed change, lotto players would continue to pick six numbers but the range would run from 1 to 54 instead of 1 to 50. The new lotto also would introduce a "bonus ball," a seventh number pulled from the remaining 48 that would double the number of winners who match five, four or three numbers.
Under the existing system matching three numbers wins $3, four wins about $90, five wins about $1,300 to $1,500 and six wins the jackpot.
Under the proposed change, with 54 balls, matching three or two and the bonus ball wins $5, matching four or three and the bonus ball wins $25, five wins $1,000 and matching four and the bonus ball wins $250. Five numbers and the bonus ball wins $10,000. To win the jackpot all six original numbers must match.
The price of tickets would stay at $1, said Pamela Udall, the commission's on-line games coordinator.
Nettles has collected 1,015 letters and e-mails along with 1,473 signatures on a petition that oppose changing the Texas Lotto.
At least 300 people have written, most of them in opposition, since the Lottery Commission announced the plan last month, Lottery spokesman Keith Elkins said.
Lottery officials say they are working to be responsive to players' requests and trying to ensure starting jackpots of more than $4 million.
Lotto ticket sales have dropped and many players say sales would go up again if there were bigger jackpots. That means tweaking the game so it's harder to win.
Also, the new plan would generate about $20 million more each year in revenue for the state.
"These last few years, we have started seeing some player apathy,'' Udall said."We are not growing as much.''
The commission had planned only Monday's public hearing in Austin. But commissioners added more public hearings in Abilene, Dallas, El Paso, Houston and San Antonio to give Texans more opportunities to sound off about the proposed changes. A number of people attended Monday's hearing. Four spoke.
After the public hearings wrap up next month, the comments likely will be presented to lottery commissioners in November.
Scripps Howard Austin Bureau writer Anna M. Tinsley can be reached at 512-478-9644 or by e-mail at tinsleya@scripps.com
| Talk about this story | Next Story
| Home |
© 1999 Caller-Times Publishing Company, a
Scripps Howard newspaper.
All rights reserved.
|
 |
 |
|
