NEW SUNDAY TICKET SALES BOOST STATE'S LOTTERY TAKE

On July 2, the Missouri Lottery Commission did away with a policy of no Sunday drawings, evoking smiles from vendors and frowns from ministers. The rule had been in place since Pick 3 started in February 1987.

Although commission spokesperson Susan Goedde said Missouri was just following other states by not having Sunday drawings, local ministers contend otherwise.

The Rev. Mark Anderson of Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau said the policy was in place to placate religious leaders, who shouldn't have been fooled.

"It was a way to get their foot in the door," he said. "Unfortunately, many in the church bought that line. Gambling is either right or wrong, no matter when people do it."

While Anderson said he believes playing the lottery is wrong any day of the week, Sunday drawings are particularly discouraging to him because they are one more thing to distract people on a day of worship.

The numbers show that many across the state are turning their attention to Sunday drawings. Pick 3 sales have increased by about $90,000 a week since the extra drawing was added, and Show Me 5 sales by about $70,000.

Tickets always were sold every day, but there weren't drawings on Sunday, Goedde explained.

"We looked at some other states that had seven-day drawings and some had seen as much as a 10 percent increase," she said. "Our customers seem to want it, and it's a way to increase sales."

Some Cape Girardeau vendors have seen a marked increase in Sunday sales and others haven't.

At Schnuck's, one of the largest lottery-ticket sellers in town, clerk Jennifer Campbell said Sunday ticket sales have shot up. But a Broadway Kwik Pantry cashier said most of her customers haven't realized there are Sunday Show Me 5 and Pick 3 drawings now.

Ticket sales close at 6:45 p.m. daily for both games, and the drawings are at 6:58 p.m.

Missouri Lotto and the multistate Powerball drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays only.