From its launch on Sept. 28 until 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov.18, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery generated approximately $72,745,109 in revenue. Itâs a number that pleases Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue (pass-a-lay).
And he has every reason to be proud. After all, the Charleston, S.C., native began work in Arkansas on June 29 and launched the lottery in less than three months. It has been recorded as the quickest launch in lottery history, which is no small feat, even for a person with years of financial and lottery experience like Passailaigue.
He received his bachelorâs degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting from the University of South Carolina in 1969. In 1971 he was licensed as a certified public accountant, and in 1974 he received his masterâs in business administration from The Citadel.
For 16 years after college, Passailaigue was managing partner of his own accounting firm in Charleston while he taught accounting and finance courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He served on the South Carolina Senate from 1988 until 2001 when he resigned to become the inaugural executive director of the South Carolina Education Lottery (SCEL).
Under his leadership, SCEL produced approximately $250 million per year for education, ranking it seventh in the world in instant ticket sales per capita. Passailaigue began advising Arkansas state officials on the lottery in 2007 and accepted the position as director of the Arkansas Lottery in June 2009. He claims getting the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery off the ground has been his greatest professional accomplishment, albeit one of the most challenging.
The lotteryâs benefits to Arkansas and her people make the challenges and long hours all worthwhile, according to Passailaigue. A portion of the lotteryâs proceeds go toward providing funding for college scholarships that will assist thousands of Arkansans in accessing higher education opportunities.
As a father of seven and a grandfather of eight (soon to be nine) children, education is a cause that ranks at the top of Passailaigueâs list. âI believe education is directly correlated to achieving a society that maximizes human potential,â he said. âThe funding of college scholarships will help transform Arkansas in many ways and will be a catalyst to lift Arkansas from its current low national ranking in residents receiving bachelorâs and two-year degrees.â
Weâll scratch to that.
Passailaigue By the Numbers
Soirée: What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Passailaigue: Professional athlete. (Passailaigue owned the Charleston Royals and Rainbows professional baseball team for seven years.)
What are some of the most interesting ways your name has been mispronounced?
Thereâs no right or wrong way to pronounce Passailaigue. I answer to anything.
What is a typical day like for you?
Prepare to deal with the unexpected each day of the week; there are no âtypicalâ days in lottery startup.
Your lucky number?
88
Favorite quote?
âNuts!,â the response from Gen. Anthony McAuliffe on the German demand for the surrender of Bastogne.
Role models?
My mother and father, President Harry Truman, Coach John Wooden and Dr. Martin Luther King.
What has been the most challenging thing about your new position?
Building a $400 million-a-year business from âscratchâ and starting it in record time.
On what boards have you served/do you currently serve?
President of the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, vice president of the South Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, vice-president of the Multi-state Lottery Association and chairman of the Powerball Game Group.
Do you like to cook, and if so, what is your favorite meal to make?
Yes. Frogmore Stew (boiled shrimp, Old Bay seasoning, Polish sausage, new potatoes, corn on the cob, onions and Tabasco sauce).
Favorite thing to do in Little Rock?
The only thing I have been able to do so far is the start of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery (pretty much 24/7
to date).