Feeling lucky? Local stores poised for lottery
While he doesn’t want to offend any customers who oppose gambling, Super Rama manager Keith Hollingsworth said his company’s move to become a Tennessee lottery retailer makes good business sense.
“I don’t know if we’ll have people standing out the door or just see a small increase in sales,” Hollingsworth said. “Either way it will be good. We’re going to make extra money regardless. We certainly don’t want to offend anyone who’s against gambling. We’re just taking advantage of an opportunity others would if we didn’t.”
With the lottery set to open for business on or before Feb. 10, retailers across Tennessee have been preparing to get in on the action. Here in Warren County, over a dozen businesses polled have applied to be lottery retailers.
“It was quite a lengthy application,” said Terry Boyd, owner of Korner Market and Village BP. “We had to submit a lot of info and get a separate bank account just for the lottery. It hasn’t been that difficult though, just time consuming.”
By law, any state business can become a Tennessee lottery retailer with three exceptions: check advance businesses, pawn shops and any business which incorporates for the sole purpose of selling lottery tickets.
To be approved, a business must submit a $95 application fee, pass a business credit check, pass a criminal background check, and be in good standing with the state Department of Revenue. To date, over 3,000 Tennessee businesses have been approved, the vast majority of which are gas stations and grocery stores.
Tennessee lottery spokesperson Kym Gerlock said lottery retailers will receive a commission of 6.5 percent on every ticket sale. Additionally, she said, retailers will benefit from increased traffic, which will lead to increased sales.
Delores’ Market owner Delores Glenn said she can’t wait to start selling lottery tickets.
“I sure want to get it,” she said of the lottery ticket sales equipment. “I think it will really help my business. Small business people need everything we can to help boost business.”
Like Glenn, Boyd said he is excited about becoming a lottery retailer, though he does have one concern, namely that revenues from his sales commissions will not offset the increased labor costs of the extra employees it will take to oversee the ticket sales. Nevertheless, he said, he wants to be on the front end of Tennessee’s first government-sponsored lottery.
“Personally, I think the lottery is going to be good in the sense that lots of folks will get the opportunity to go to school. I think it’s going to be a plus for all of us.”