Published: April 27, 2020

Oklahoma lottery sales up as people buy scratchers

OKLAHOMA CITY — He needed to fill up his truck Friday, so Jose Maldonado, 50, thought it would be a good idea to kill two birds with one debit card. Fuel his tank at the 7-Eleven near N.W. 31st and Classen Boulevard, and buy the $5 Cash Eruption scratcher his sister wanted.

“If she wins, she better give me half,” he said. “I only play in a blue moon. I used to go to casinos, but it gets you nowhere. On S.W. 29th, I saw guys buying tickets left and right at 7-Eleven. Buying scratch-offs. I wish I had that kind of money.”

While sales were down four weeks ago compared to the same time last year, the Oklahoma Lottery Commission reports an increase over the last three weeks, driven by scratchers sold during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In the most recent week, total state lottery sales topped just over $7 million compared to nearly $4.1 million during the same period last year. That includes more than $5.8 million in scratchers alone this year, compared to roughly $2.5 million in scratchers sold last year at this time.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/oklahoma-lottery-sales-up-as-people-buy-scratchers/article_60a1c114-cd0a-551b-a893-265b1bd45d64.html

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