PLAYING THE ODDS; LOCAL LOTTERY SPENDING GROWS DURING FIRST DECADE IN MISSOURI

If a pot of gold exists at the end of the rainbow, Missourians are out to prove it.

During the past decade, not only Missourians but residents of neighboring states, have plunked down $2.5 billion for a chance at finding that pot of gold.

Since the first lottery ticket was sold 10 years ago, the Missouri Lottery has grown from $207 million in annual sales to more than $412 million a year.

The $2.5 billion has been spent on lottery tickets all across the state, said the Missouri Lottery Commission. In Cape Girardeau County, the most popular spots to purchase tickets are in Cape Girardeau at Rhodes 101 Stop, 1008 N. Kingshighway; Bi-State Southern, 400 Morgan Oak; and Schnucks Food and Drug, 19 S. Kingshighway.

The three businesses were among 14 lottery ticket outlets in Cape Girardeau County when the lottery's Missouri Lottery Jackpot '86 tickets first went on sale Jan. 20, 1986.

More than 30,000 tickets were sold in Cape County that opening day. Schnucks sold or gave away more than 7,000 of them during the first day's activities.

Lottery ticket sales have shot up since.

With almost $247,107 in lottery ticket sales during fiscal year 1995, Rhodes led all lottery dealers in sales in Cape County. Rhodes was some $10,000 ahead of Schnucks, with sales of $236,029. Bi-State Southern was not far off Schnucks' pace, with sales of $234,421.

Today, lottery tickets are available at 73 outlets throughout Cape County. Ticket sales in the county during fiscal 1995 totaled more than $3.6 million, an average of more than $300,000 a month.

Powerball, a multistate, multimillion-dollar lottery, is one of the favorites of lottery buyers. Powerball sales accounted for more than a fourth of the $426.4 million in ticket sales statewide in fiscal 1995, and for $918,000, or about a fourth of the $3.6 million sales in Cape County.

"You can always tell when the Powerball payoff is high," said Khrystee Anderson, manager of Rhodes 101 at 1008 N. Kingshighway. "When it was up to $90 million recently, our parking lot was full, and we had long lines of people wanting to buy Powerball tickets."

Anderson said a lot of the business's sales come from scratch-off tickets.

"People will purchase the scratch-off (instant winners) and scratch them off here," she said. "And we have a lot of regular ticket-buyers. Some people come in twice a week and purchase $20 to $40 worth of tickets."

Anderson urged people to return their tickets to double check numbers in the computer. "One man brought in a lot of his older tickets and we discovered a $100 ticket," she said.

Rhodes hasn't had a really big winner at the North Kingshighway store. But with at least one $5,000 ticket and a number of smaller amounts, the average payout per month from the business ranges from $3,500 to $5,000, said Kelly Kerber, a Rhodes clerk.

Rollin Weibrecht, a customer, is a part-time lottery ticket-buyer at Rhodes. "I used to play every week," he said. "I used the same numbers all the time. Eventually I tapered off, and play only when the Powerball jackpot gets near my age."

Another ticket-buyer, who asked anonymity, said she buys tickets only when Powerball tops $20 million. She purchased tickets last week; Powerball was about $23 million for Saturday's draw.

Lottery ticket sales have been brisk throughout the entire Southeast Missouri area. In fiscal 1995, a total of 495 retail outlets in a 15-county area reported total sales of more than $32 million, ranging from the low of $284,000 in Bollinger County to the high of $4.2 million in Butler County.

A total of five area counties reported more than $3 million in sales in fiscal 1995, led by Butler with $4.2 million. Following, in order: St. Francois County, $3.7 million; Cape Girardeau County, $3.6 million; Pemiscot County, $3.3 million; and Dunklin County, $3.1 million.

More than $1.3 billion have been awarded, resulting in 110 lottery-made millionaires. They include five winners in Southeast Missouri. one was in Scott City, where Mable and Robert Smith hit on a $6.8 million Lotto ticket in October 1990.

When there's a big winner, lottery retailers also have something to celebrate: Lottery retailers have earned more than $150 million in commissions and incentives for selling lottery tickets.

"The Missouri Lottery has come a long way during the past 10 years," said Jim Scroggins, executive director of the lottery. "Each year the lottery continues to become more efficient, more fun and more profitable."

The Missouri Lottery was created after voters approved Amendment 5 in November 1984. Since that first game in January 1986, the Lottery has been expanding. The game mix now includes several instant games, four on-line or computerized-numbers games and pulltabs.

The Missouri Lotto game was added in October 1986, with the minimum jackpot of $1 million. Pick 3 was added in February 1987 and Powerball in April 1992.

For every $1 ticket sold, 53.5 cents goes for prizes and 31.5 cents goes to public education. Another 6 cents goes to the more than 5,000 businesses selling lottery tickets and 9 cents is for lottery operational costs.

In the past 10 years, the Missouri Lottery has generated approximately $850 million for the state.

Until 1992 lottery sales revenue went into the state's general fund. In 1992, voters approved an amendment earmarking a portion of the proceeds for education.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary, the Lottery will debut a new game called "Fun & Fortune," on Saturday evenings on television stations in St. Louis, Joplin, Columbia, Springfield and Kansas City. The show will provide players a chance to win more than $50,000.

During its decade in business, the Missouri Lottery has awarded more than 100 million-dollar jackpots: 79 in Missouri Lotto, 10 in Jackpot Wheel Spin, 10 in Lotto America-Megabucks, and seven in Powerball. The lottery also has presented more than 300, $100,000 prizes -- 101 in SuperCash and move than 200 in Powerball.

The largest jackpot won was $36.8 million in Powerball by Roger and Shirley Poliette of Hillsboro.

The odds on winning:

Missouri Lotto:

-- Picking six numbers, minimum prize $1 million: one in 3,529,526.

-- Picking five of six, average prize $750: one in 15,480

-- Picking four of six, average prize $30: one in 335.

Powerball:

-- Picking five numbers and 1 powerball, minimum prize $2 million, one in 54,979,155.

-- Picking five of five and no Powerball, minimum prize $100,000: one in 1,249,526.

-- Picking four of five and Powerball, minimum prize $5,000: one in 274,896.

-- Picking four of five and no Powerball, minimum prize $100: one in 6,248.

-- Picking three of five and Powerball, minimum prize $100: one in 7,049.

-- Picking three of five and no Powerball, minimum prize $5: one in 160.