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Lotteries nationwide try to bring in young adults

By WTOP Staff

KATELYN FERRAL
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Madi Williams, 21, spends her days selling lottery tickets at TAZ’s Supermarket One convenience store in downtown Raleigh. She sees a steady stream of customers daily, but she’s not one of them.

“Everyone who’s above 40 comes in every day and spends like $80 on lottery tickets. It’s ridiculous,” she said. “Never really young people, I’m not interested either and I’ve never thought about why.”

Getting younger adults interested in a 40-year-old industry — where arguably the biggest product innovation was the advent of the scratch card in 1987 — is a challenge for lottery leaders worldwide.

“It’s being constantly talked about,” said North Carolina Education Lottery Director Alice Garland.

Even when the power ball jackpot hit $500 million, Garland couldn’t excite her three kids, ages 29, 30, and 33 at the chance to win big.

“I can’t interest my children in it,” she said. “I have to threaten them within an inch of their life to go by a $2 ticket. It’s $2. Go buy a ticket. Please, I’m begging you.”

In the U.S., state lotteries are trying to engage 20- and 30-somethings with new phone apps, websites and altruistic cause-based campaigning. But it’s a gradual evolution.

“(The) U.S. is behind the rest of the world on technological innovation,” said Don Feeney, research and planning director of Minnesota’s lottery.

Lotteries in the U.K. and Canada have been selling lottery tickets online for nearly a decade.

A quarter of lottery players in the U.K. are between the ages of 16 and 24 and register for lottery games and tickets online, according to Camelot Business Solutions, which operates lotteries in the U.K. The lottery is working on adding instant win games to their digital offerings.

“We are trying to attract this demographic by offering players an enhanced and regularly refreshed range of games, and focusing on innovation to better reflect people’s changing lifestyles and shopping habits,” said Laura Pearson, a spokeswoman for Camelot Business Solutions.

Of those who play lotteries across the country, people between the ages of 25 and 34 routinely participate the least.

“It’s always been the case that the sweet spot for lottery demographics comes into play after the age of 30,” said Paul Jason, CEO of the Public Gaming Institute.

Young adults have never been a top-buying demographic, Jason said. Today’s 20- and 30-somethings have grown up in a digital age and expect a different entertainment experience than past generations.

Tying lotteries to charity is a new, appealing frontier if Illinois Lottery Director Michael Jones has it pegged.

“Young adults really care about causes, they really want to help things they believe in and causes they believe in,” he said.

Illinois has games that direct money to the Special Olympics, Breast Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis research and has seen more sales among younger people with those games, Jones said. North Carolina’s lottery benefits education.

Younger players may come to the lottery only if their friends come, too. The games need to be more social, Feeney said.

“You’re talking about a generation of pack animals,” Feeney said. “They were looking for games that they can play with their friends and by and large that’s not the lottery or the way the lottery is being portrayed.”

Of 9 million Illinois lottery players, only 174,000 have downloaded a new phone app introduced in January, according to the lottery.

While the lottery continues to grow in North Carolina — sales reached $1.8 billion in fiscal 2014 — the state is not the apex of technological gambling innovation.

“North Carolina is definitely not going to be on the forefront of that,” Garland said.

A lottery phone app or online lottery games and ticket sales are a long way off, she said. The North Carolina lottery is trying to entice new players with new twists on traditional lottery products, and more focused marketing.

If 20- and 30-somethings don’t start participating more heavily in lotteries, the industry’s future could be at risk.

“You’ll eventually be in the same position as horse racing,” said Illinois lottery director Jones. “We’ve got to think beyond instant tickets and terminal-based drawings and at think about what technology and imagination can create.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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