Loss of lottery sales won't affect Georgia

Web posted August 23, 2000

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 Aiken County rallies against lottery

By Vicky Eckenrode
Staff Writer

Every day, Lelia Brown leaves her Aiken home armed with a note pad with lucky numbers and heads to the same gas station in Augusta.

Once at the Coliseum Amoco on Walton Way, Mrs. Brown fills out her play slips, chats with the clerks and drops a couple of dollars.

She is one of the many South Carolina residents that contributed an estimated $112 million to the Georgia Lottery Corp. last year.

But that amount could decrease if South Carolina voters approve a lottery of their own in a November referendum.

The impact on lottery retailers in Augusta, especially those closest to the state line, is yet to be determined.

Even though Mrs. Brown said she would continue to buy her tickets in Georgia because she was used to the system, she started considering what a South Carolina lottery could do for her and her family.

``I think the lottery would do good for education in South Carolina,'' she said.

``I would definitely buy (in South Carolina) if they proved it would help build education. I would very much like to contribute to my own state.''

For now, some retailers said they are not worried about the potential loss of business. Many of the top-selling lottery retailers are located near downtown and depend on local customer base.

``We might get a little backlash, but not enough to affect us because of our location,'' said Brigette Thurmond, a cashier at Coliseum Amoco, which is the city's biggest seller of tickets.

One lottery customer said competition could initially hurt Georgia, but it could prove more interesting for those who play the game.

For smaller ticket retailers, the damage could be minimal because a store's profit is only 5 cents a ticket, said Martha Nelms, manager of Kernodles Package Store on Stevens Creek Road.

Mrs. Nelms, a resident of Aiken, speaks for both sides of the coin as she rings up sales for the steady stream of customers buying tickets.

``It bothers me that people from South Carolina are coming here and giving their money to Georgia.''

Reach Vicky Eckenrode at (706) 823-3227.