Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Appoints New Director In Sharon Strong

Image showing lottery gaming with lotto balls along with the Arkansas state outline featuring the Arkansas Lottery logo for a story about the Arkansas Lottery naming Sharon Strong as its new director.

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) announced Sharon Strong, a Little Rock native, as the new Director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (ASL).

DFA Secretary Jim Hudson confirmed Strong will fill the role, citing her work experience during the appointment. Strong most recently served as the state’s Senior Assistant Attorney General. Other positions on her resume include:

  • Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Pulaski County and Perry County
  • Staff Attorney for the Public Service Commission and Disability Rights Arkansas
  • Assistant State’s Attorney in Frederick County
  • Public Defender for the State of Maryland

Lottery director Strong ‘an advocate for Arkansans’

The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has more than 100 retailers and over 200 ticket vending machine locations statewide. It offers instant games and a wide range of lottery draw games, including Powerball, Mega Millions, Cash 3, Cash 4, and Lucky for Life.

As director, Strong will oversee all administrative and technical activities, including lottery operations, appointing team members, and ensuring the lottery’s security and integrity.

Secretary Hudson said in a press release:

“Sharon has been an advocate for Arkansans throughout her career. She understands the mission of the Lottery is supporting Arkansas’ students through scholarships, providing resources to allow them to thrive. She will build strong relationships with all our partners, including the Arkansas General Assembly, to maximize Lottery’s impact in a responsible manner. I’m proud to welcome her to the Scholarship Lottery and DFA.”

Arkansas Scholarship Lottery features a winning product

A division of the DFA, the Scholarship Lottery is entirely self-funded and has created winning opportunities for people throughout the Natural State.

Since its founding in 2009, the ASL has awarded more than 770,000 college scholarships to in-state students. It has made a significant financial impact, too, with over $7.4 billion in lifetime sales resulting in more than:

  • $1.4 billion in scholarship money awarded
  • $5 billion in prizes to players
  • $418 million in retailer commissions
  • $176 million in state and federal tax revenue

After her appointment, Strong shared her gratitude and eagerness to continue making a difference in her new role:

“I am thankful to the Governor and Secretary Hudson for the opportunity to lead the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery,” said Strong. “Lottery has a senior leadership team with decades of experience and institutional knowledge. Working as a team with all stakeholders, the Lottery will positively impact future generations of Arkansans.”

Online ticket sales available in Arkansas through Jackpot.com

Arkansas remains absent from the list of states with online lotteries, but residents can still purchase ASL tickets through the lottery ticket purchasing app Jackpot.com.

The courier service launched in Arkansas in March, becoming the fifth state to offer the platform. Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Texas residents can also purchase lottery tickets through Jackpot.com.

The app functions as a third-party service that purchases players’ tickets of choice on their behalf. It is player-friendly, displaying all live tickets. Any winning tickets will result in the app transferring players’ winnings into their Jackpot.com account. 

Jackpot.com is safe, secure, and fully licensed to operate in Arkansas. It offers five games (Powerball, Mega Millions, LOTTO, Natural State Jackpot, and Lucky for Life), with more expected to launch in the future.

 

Photo by vectorfusionart via Shutterstock
Graphic from the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery

About the Author

Hill Kerby

Hill Kerby

Hill Kerby has been writing about the online and retail lottery industry in the US since 2021. He is a contributor to multiple Catena Media sites and has a background in poker, sports and psychology which he incorporates into his writing. You can email him at [email protected].
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