State voters last week rejected a proposed lottery that Gov. David Walters estimated would generate about $180 million a year in sales.
Of the 700,000 voters casting ballots, 417,532, or 60%, of them voted against the lottery, which was opposed by horse racetracks and religious groups.
The rejection was seen as a defeat for the already beleaguered governor, who pleaded guilty last year to accepting illegal campaign contributions and who was the primary backer of the lottery.
The outcome also was significant because Oklahoma is the first state in six years to defeat a lottery proposal.
Revenues would have been used to finance science research, capital improvements for education, and general government needs. Walters has maintained that Oklahomans are spending millions of dollars in lotteries in adjoining states.
