This week, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL) participated in the seventh annual Lottery Week, joining lotteries across North America to celebrate their community contributions. Established in 2009, ASL has raised over $1.5 billion for student scholarships, benefiting more than 822,000 recipients through programs like the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship.
Executive Director Sharon Strong stated, “As an organization, raising funds for student scholarships is both our mission and our motivation.” The lottery also supports over 2,000 retailers statewide with commissions exceeding $454 million since its inception.
Strong acknowledged the retailers’ role: “We’re thankful for the hard work and dedication of all of our retailers.” To date, ASL has sold more than $8 billion in lottery products.
ASL emphasizes responsible gambling and earned a Responsible Gambling Certification from NASPL and NCPG in 2019. The lottery collaborates with these organizations to promote responsible play and offers resources for problem gambling.
David Gale, Executive Director of NASPL, remarked on Lottery Week’s significance: “This week, we celebrated not only the vital programs and services supported by lottery proceeds but also the commitment and dedication of our lottery and vendor employees.”
For further details about ASL or assistance with problem gambling, visit MyArkansasLottery.com or contact relevant helplines.
