程阳：KANSAS LOTTERY FY2008

Fiscal Year 2008 ended with a slight decrease in sales. The bright spot in the sales area continues to be our instant tickets, as we again launched over 100 games throughout the year. I think a lot of the attraction to the games continues to be the promotion of Kansas products and events. We really enjoy working with the manufacturers and tourism officials in our great state, and hope that we are stimulating the growth of both industries. Judging by the contacts we have been getting and the requests for marketing partnerships, it appears that we are getting the job done.

 This year also saw the launch of the first-ever multi-state scratch ticket in the United States. Midwest Millions is the result of our partnership with the Iowa Lottery, and was very successful. Because of that, the decision was made to do a second game that we hope will be even more successful. Second chance drawings for a cool half a million dollars certainly generate some excitement.

 As you will see in the report, the KansasLottery made six more millionaires during this fiscal year with two Hot Lotto players and four playing Super Kansas Cash. One of the Super Kansas Cash players, Hope Higgins from Abilene, was in to pick up her second jackpot win over $1 million. That lady has some luck, and she couldn’t be nicer or more gracious. She certainly gives the lottery and lottery players a good name with all the beneficial donations and volunteer work. We just hope she manages to have some fun, too.

The Kansas Lottery began the process of selecting managers for our four casinos and two racetracks during the fiscal year, and the process is an exciting one. Although it will be some time before we have an operating gaming operation, there is certainly plenty of work to do. It has been an exciting year, and it looks as if FY 2009 will be even more so.  

______ Ed Van Petten  Executive Director