New lottery director eager to get to work (UALR Public Radio) - Ernie Passailaigue has headed the South Carolina lottery since its start in 2002. On his visit to Little Rock, he sports a seersucker suit and a bow tie. In the circles of power in Arkansas, that won't make him unusual. Passailaigue is definitely Southern, and feels he'll fit right in as the new director of the Arkansas lottery. And maybe it's cultural, but Passailaigue doesn't back away from the criticism that lotteries prey on the most disadvantaged. He says he'll try to minimize the harmful aspects of the games.

Of course, Passailaigue is already under pressure to produce money with the games. He's charged with hiring the lottery's entire staff, lining up retailers to sell tickets, and marketing the lottery. He doesn't officially start work until July first, but he's already on the job.

Passailaigue says he wants to have self-serve terminals for instant lottery tickets. He's already starting talks with the multi-state games, Powerball and Mega-millions. Of course, the decision on what kinds of games to include is up to the lottery commission, but Passailaigue wants to join one of them by the end of 2010. The commission has already put a lot of faith in him. He asked for, and received, a sizeable pay hike in order to come to Arkansas.

Passailaigue says he wants the lottery to get into its permanent home right away, without a temporary office. He's been touring possible sites, and like the look of the Comcast building in Little Rock. It's secure, wired for communication, and has a TV studio. For numbers games, Passailaigue thinks he might try a trick used in South Carolina to get regular people involved: A talent-search for the person who pulls the numbers.

Passailaigue says he and his new staff will be working some long hours to help get the games up and running. He hopes Arkansans will be playing by the end of November.
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