DON’T THINK OF IT AS A WINDFALL. WENDY AHLM WITH THE NEW MEXICO LOTTERY SAYS THE EXTRA REVENUE GENERATED HERE IN THOSE TWO BILLION-DOLLAR POWERBALL DRAWINGS DID NOT CREATE A LOT MORE CASH FOR THE STATE’S LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. THAT’S DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE LOTTERY SOLD 17-POINT-9 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF POWERBALL TICKETS BETWEEN DECEMBER 31ST AND JANUARY 13TH. AND THAT TRANSLATES TO NEARLY 5-POINT-4 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP.
AHLM SAYS THE EXTRA REVENUE ALLOWED THE LOTTERY TO CATCH UP TO THEIR PROJECTED BUDGET … BUT IT DIDN’T TAKE THEM OVER THAT FIGURE. SHE SAYS THEY ESTIMATE THEY’LL RETURN ABOUT 42-MILLION TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR FISCAL 2016.
