There’s the rub

Arkansas’ pursuit of a frictionless world

Friction is everywhere. It is a determinant factor in golf, for example, as in how fast that dimpled ball rolls across the manicured greens. Or how easily (or not) the sand wedge cuts through the sunken hazard where an errant ball has come to rest.

Friction can wreak havoc on an engine, where moving parts necessarily make contact with each other. We put oil in there as a slick barrier to the damage frictional forces can have when metal meets metal.

And friction can save us from going broke financially.

It’s this kind of friction retailers everywhere are trying to reduce or eliminate.

The latter example isn’t about physics, unless one is focused on the literal act of pulling dollar bills or a credit card out of a wallet. Those little slots can be unforgiving, right? Rather, friction is a transactional term: Retailers are constantly trying to identify and remove any step that might impede a customer’s purchase of a product.

Think of it as a race to see how fast a retailer can get to a customer’s money. Anything that resembles a hurdle for the customer slows down purchases, potentially creating an opportunity for the buyer to pause and consider, “Should I really be buying this?” or “Do I really need this?” Remove the hurdles and …. gotcha! The last thing sellers want a buyer to do is think.

As the world becomes more reliant on shopping online and through applications on smartphones, the path into our wallets has been shortened dramatically. In fact, we’ve effectively given up our wallets and give sellers access directly to our bank accounts. Subscriptions, auto-pay, one-click shopping — it’s all part of the pursuit of finding the path of least resistance.

It can be no surprise, then, that Arkansas officials have started the discussions about whether — or more likely when — to allow purchases of lottery tickets through smartphones.

Remember way back when the only (legal) way to lose money gambling in Arkansas was to hit the horse races in Hot Springs or the dog races in West Memphis? It took a lot of effort to get there, particularly when the primary way south was down old and curvy U.S. 71. That was some serious friction. Now, there are casinos within driving distance of just about everyone. And those casinos can now operate sports betting apps, capable of allowing gamblers to put money on just about every kind of possibility as long as the odds- makers can figure out a way to give the house an edge.

Today, buying a lottery ticket requires a slog down to the local convenience store. Gosh, that’s gotta be a mile, maybe two, right? Exhausting. Or perhaps swiping a card in one of those lotto vending machines, but gee, we might get callouses having to push those buttons.

It will require an act of the Arkansas Legislature to make digital lottery purchases possible, but lottery officials are building the case for it now. Naturally, it’s something other states have done, and Arkansas must keep up with the Joneses. If not in education, health care or other metrics, we can at least be competitive in easing the path into residents’ bank accounts on a false promise of wealth.

If we were the betting types, we’d put money on the introduction of online lottery tickets within a few years. But gosh, the state will still devote a few pennies to the effort to prevent addictive gambling, so there’s that.

If only we could put pursuit of reduced friction to good use. Maybe at the gates to get into Razorback Stadium?

We’re not betting on it.