Councilman wants to take a chance on 50-50 drawing for Philly schools

Philadelphia’s public schools would have some good luck for a change if a city councilman’s plan for a new lottery game comes to pass. 

Councilman Jim Kenney said he got the idea of a 50-50 type drawing after seeing the Flyers generate an average of $42,000 a game for their charities.

“I think that if we had a once a month drawing with a four-digit number, sold in Philadelphia County only, half goes to the ticketholder only half goes to the schools, we’d have a potential income for the district,” Kenney said. “Our estimates are about $15 million a year.”

Generating more than $1 million a month would not solve the school district’s financial needs, but the extra money could save an art program or maybe some school sports, he reasoned.

“It’s been difficult in Harrisburg to have anybody talk about raising revenues from any other means,” Kenney said. “It’s a bit of a longshot but certainly it’s an idea that’s doable.”

The game would require state approval and Kenney says he could envision it being run by the Pennsylvania Lottery … for a fee of course.